Historical resolution by the European Parliament on the future EU-Mauritania agreement

A resolution on the EU-Mauritania fisheries partnership agreement, jointly tabled by the five most important political groups of the European Parliament, has been adopted today in plenary, before the start of the negotiations for its renewal. This agreement is the most important agreement between the EU and an ACP country. The Parliament thus gives, for the first time since the Lisbon Treaty entered into force, a strong signal on what its priorities are for the negotiations of an FPA.

The resolution considers that "cooperation must be based on mutual interest and take the form of initiatives and measures which, whether taken jointly or separately, are complementary and ensure consistent policies". The resolution highlights that "the FPA has contributed to the overexploitation of some stocks, particularly octopus, and has therefore reduced fishing opportunities for Mauritanian fishermen and given the EU industry a competitive advantage as a result of subsidised access fees for EU vessels". The resolution therefore insists that "any and all access negotiated for EU-flagged vessels to fish in Mauritanian waters must be based on the principle of surplus stocks ... should effort reductions be necessary, those third-country (EU and other) fleets causing the most environmental damage must be the first to make reductions", and also insists "on receiving reliable data on fishing opportunities and catches by third countries in Mauritanian waters so as to be able to identify any surplus resources; believes that, in the case of those stocks shared with other West African states, levels of fishing access in Mauritania must be negotiated with due regard to fishing levels in the other states".

The resolution urges also the Commission to ensure "that fishing activities under the FPA meet the same sustainability criteria as fishing activities in EU waters, including those relating to selectivity; calls on Commission to ensure compliance with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, especially as regards the recommendation to grant local artisanal fishers preferential access to resources in Mauritanian waters", and insists "that fisheries agreements between the EU and third countries should be preceded by a wide-ranging debate in the countries concerned, allowing participation by the public, civil society organisations and national parliaments, thereby promoting greater democracy and transparency".

Concerning the financial compensation, the resolution "believes that the money paid as compensation for access to fish stocks in Mauritanian waters must be clearly uncoupled from financial support for the Mauritanian multiannual fisheries programme, in that any reduction in fishing opportunities must not lead to a reduction in EU payments under the multiannual programme... financial support for the Mauritanian multiannual fisheries programme must be in line with Mauritania’s needs for sustainable fisheries development, in particular management (research, control, stakeholder participation mechanisms, infrastructure and so on), as expressed in the EU-Mauritania cooperation and development framework". It further "believes that... the EU should support the fastest possible construction of adequate facilities for landing fish along Mauritania’s central and southern coastlines, including – but not limited to – Nouakchott, so that fish caught in Mauritanian waters can be landed at national ports rather than outside the country, as is often the case at present; believes that this will increase local fish consumption and support local employment; takes the view that these improvements, combined with the removal of wrecks and the modernisation of the major port of Nouadhibou, would enable the EU fleet to operate more effectively, facilitate investment flows and boost the FPA’s impact on the local economy".

Finally, the resolution underlines "the need for Parliament to be wholly involved in both the negotiating process and the long-term monitoring of the functioning of the new protocol, and recalls its conviction that Parliament should be represented at the Joint Committee meetings envisaged in fisheries agreements, and insists that civil society, including both EU and Mauritanian fisheries representatives, also participate in those meetings".

Source

JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the EU-Mauritania Fisheries Partnership Agreement, 10.5.2011

Senegal: civil society and fishing sector unite against 22 Russian trawlers licensing

In a press conference held on March 17 in Dakar, representatives of professional organizations from the Senegalese industrial and small-scale fishing sector, as well trade unions and consumer organisations, denounced the presence in the Senegalese waters of Russian fishing vessels targeting small pelagics: "These vessels whose licences have been formally refused, are able to quietly operate, by day and by night, without be arrested...", says a press release from GAIPES (grouping of the shipowners and industrial fishing in Senegal).

Maria Damanaki’s letter on discards

In her letter dated February 15 2011, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki thanks the members of the OCEAN2012 coalition for their position on eliminating discards by EU fishing activities in EU and third country waters.

Echoes from COFI 29

The twenty-ninth session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI 29) was held in Rome, 31 January to 4 February 2011.

CFFA and other support NGOs facilitated the attendance of many small-scale fisheries representatives from around the world in order to defend their interests and voice their concerns to national delegations officials and intergovernmental organizations, including on the item 10 of the session’s agenda on the creation of an international instrument for small-scale fisheries.

At this occasion, CFFA’s African partners, from which many are now members of the African Confederation of Small-scale Fisheries Professional Organizations (CAOPA) reiterated the principles and recommendations of the Banjul Civil Society Declaration drafted in September 2010 during the first Conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The AU (African Union) and NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) have recognized the importance of this declaration that will be taken into consideration in their work.

In view of the important role played by small-scale fisheries the Committee approved the development of a new international instrument on small-scale fisheries to complement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), drawing on relevant existing instruments. The Committee agreed that the new instrument could take the form of an international guidelines, be voluntary in nature, address both inland and marine fisheries and focus on the needs of developing countries. The Committee recommended that all stakeholders be associated, as appropriate, with its development.

CAOPA’s new booklet

The African Confederation of Small-scale Fisheries Professional Organizations has just published its first introductory booklet, at the occasion of the 29th session of the FAO COFI (31 January to 4 February 2011 in Rome, Italy) and the World Social Forum 2011 (6 to 11 February 2011 in Dakar, Senegal). 

The booklet is available here.

Experts: Denmark supports harmful EU fisheries in Africa

Reports conclude that the EU’s fisheries agreements with developing countries are socially, environmentally and economically harmful. By Michael Rothenborg, Politiken, 7 December 2010

“The EU gives us development aid with one hand, but takes away at least the same amount of money by over-fishing our oceans with the other “. Professor Ahmed Mahmoud Cherif is a former chief negotiator for Mauritania and has helped to conclude several fisheries agreements with the EU. Today he regrets having done so, and has therefore become president of the Mauritanian NGO, Pechecops.

A suffering population “Mauritania’s government is given millions to let Spanish and other European vessels fish for octopus, squid and other profitable species. But it is a short-sighted strategy and will not benefit the Mauritanian population. The people suffer because the overfishing of the European vessels leaves fewer fish for them to fish, and because the local fishing industry will lose jobs because of this, ” says Ahmed Mahmoud Cherif. He is in Denmark to participate in conference on the issue of overfishing. The conference that is to be held in the Danish parliament today has been organized by the Democracy in Europe (DEO) and the Danish Fishing Network. They point to reports from among others the UN and the World Bank, that indicate that fishing agreements with developing countries do more harm than good.

More information:

• Read the full article in Danish. 

• Or contact cp@afpl.dk for more information in English.

Second ACP Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Council

Vassen Kauppaymuthoo, chairman of the Mauritian NGO Kalipso, participated in the second ACP Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Council on behalf of CFFA, in Seychelles from 22 to 25 November 2010. That gave the occasion to make the Ministers and ACP officials aware of the point of view and proposals of the African civil society on the future of fisheries, voiced in September through the Banjul Declaration adopted by African civil society organizations in margin of the Conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture, in which Kalipso and CFFA participated.

The presence of CFFA as observer at the ACP Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Council allowed artisanal fisheries to gain better visibility, showed their potential and raised the issues that need to be addressed by decision makers in order to ensure artisanal fisheries a sustainable future. However, Vassen Kauppaymuthoo deplores “the impression of some kind of duplication of efforts at the level of these various institutions, because too few bonds are made between these different ministerial meetings and what is actually discussed inside”.

Furthermore, he highlights that “aquaculture was mentioned several times during the Ministers Council, and presented as the panacea to face the collapse of wild fish stocks. But one should not forget that industrial aquaculture development in coastal areas leads to the privatization of the public maritime domain, sometimes jeopardizing the existence of coastal communities living there and provoking a lot of damages and pollutions to the coastal environment: the list of countries that have faced ecological disasters linked to industrial aquaculture is evergrowing. ACP countries cannot neglect these aspects and intensive aquaculture in sensitive tropical ecosystems like Maurice or Seychelles should be proscribed”.

More information:

• http://www.acpsec.org/en/fisheries/2010/resolution_fisheries2_en.pdf

• http://www.acpsec.org/en/jpa_kinshasa/fisheries_press_statementENG_seychelles2010.html

• http://www.acpsec.org/en/fisheries/2010/report_short_en.pdf

CFP reform: WWF’s recommendations for the EU external fleet

Fishing outside EU waters by EU vessels should be firmly anchored in the 2012 revision of the Common Fisheries Policy. This is to ensure consistency and clarity on the standards of behaviour for EU vessels wherever they fish.

Check out WWF’s recommendations to improve the rules that apply to EU activities, to ensure sustainable fisheries abroad.

DEFRA’s baseline study on the CFP external dimension and global fisheries governance

The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is currently undergoing a reform process with changes due in 2012. The consultation process for the reform began with the publication of a Green Paper in 2009 and invited a range of stakeholders to provide contributions. The Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned this study to consider the main issues for reform of the ‘external dimension’ of the CFP.

How Africa is feeding Europe: EU (over)fishing in West Africa

This Expedition Report provides a basic overview of the type of vessels encountered during the expedition, highlighting some of the problems of overfishing through specific examples. According to views expressed by local fishermen in Senegal and Mauritania, a consequence of foreign operations in West Africa, local fishing communities sees their own catch diminish and sees the destruction of local marine resources at the hands of foreign operators, while the communities themselves reap few if any of the benefits.

Sources:

Greenpeace Expedition report , September 30, 2010

Availability of fishing licenses lists: Gabon

CFFA welcomes the steps taken by the republic of Gabon to make available to the public the lists of fishing vessels licensed in 2008/2009.

We encourage all ACP countries to take such steps. Moreover, we would like to highlight the importance for ACP countries to publish an update of these lists, so that real time data about fishing vessels licensed can be accessed by the public and third countries authorities, partners for sustainable fisheries development.

In particular, in the context of the fight against IUU fishing, the availability of updated lists of fishing vessels licensed in ACP countries is a key element for collaboration between coastal states -ACP countries in this case- and market states -such as the EU- to help efficient action to be taken in order to stop the trade of illegally caught fish.

OCEAN2012 Petition Hand Over

OCEAN2012 handed over 28,500 signatures to European Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Commissioner, Maria Damanaki, calling on her to prioritise the health of the marine environment for people’s sake in the reform of the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)  

EU-Solomon islands agreement discussed in the Parliament

This agreement is being discussed and will be the first EU-ACP agreement to be to approved by the European Parliament (by the end of this year) since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

CFFA considers that this is an opportunity to promote a new approach based on the coherence of EU policies, especially with respect to local/regional sustainable fisheries development, with an emphasis on fishing communities rights and social and environmental issues.

Fisheries, Trade and Development

Documents from the ICTSD/UNEP meeting on "Fisheries, Trade and Development" are online, with a press article from IPS entitled "Help Small Fishers to Fish Less, Earn More".

Let’s adopt a differentiated approach to small scale artisanal aquaculture

Intervention by Brian O’Riordan, on behalf of ICSF/CFFA at Working Group 2 Aquaculture 3 June 2010 - Aquaculture and the CFP Workshop

The issue of why aquaculture in Europe is stagnant, whilst globally it is considered to be the fasted growing (animal) food-producing sector, needs some analysis. Our discussions have provided some insights and highlighted some issues; I would like to add a couple of observations.

1. Perhaps the model of aquaculture we are promoting in Europe is wrong. Most of aquaculture production is accounted for by Asian countries (many of them in tropical regions), dominated by China, and aquaculture has experienced the fastest growth rates in recent years in tropical African and Caribbean countries. Most production comes from inland waters, of fin fish that are mainly herbivorous, omnivorous, plankton feeders, often cultured in “polyculture” systems, that are low tech, non-intensive, and with relatively low inputs.

Yet in Europe, the focus has been on carnivorous fin fish, and on intensive, high input, fishmeal dependent systems. So too our temperate ecosystems are quite different to the tropical ecosystems where aquaculture is “booming”.

2. If aquaculture is to become an integral part of the CFP, or a basic pillar, then perhaps we should also consider adopting a “differentiated approach” to small-scale, artisanal, family run, community activities based that play an important social role on the one hand, and large scale, capital intensive systems on the other. The former, as highlighted by Sra. Portabales, are often family run SMEs, that have particular problems in accessing credit and grants. Whilst on he other, as highlighted by Mr Flynn, the capital intensive models provide the economic engines for boosting economic activities… but often with significant social and environmental costs.

In this regard, I would like to draw attention to the Ocean2012 contribution to the Green Paper consultation on CFP Reform, which highlights that

“A key reason for this contrasting state of affairs (stagnation vs growth) may be that a significant proportion of EU aquaculture production is aimed at wealth creation first, and food production second. Prominence has also been given to the production of carnivorous species, highly dependent on large scale, intensive, high-tech production systems, which are highly vulnerable to parasite and disease infestations. We feel therefore that the new European aquaculture strategy again places too much emphasis on the intensive farming for carnivorous species, at the expense of other forms of more traditional aquaculture.”

And proposes that:

“the EU should consider the potential for developing other types of aquaculture. For example, traditional systems of freshwater and marine fish and shellfish farming have been developed throughout Europe over the last centuries. Pond farming operations assist the maintenance of wetland areas and live bivalve molluscs help combat eutrophication and maintain a good sanitary quality of coastal and estuarine areas.”

And:

“To require closed containment for industrial aquaculture for carnivorous species in order to minimise impacts on the marine ecosystem. Closed containment, which prevents the transmission of diseases and parasites, could offer some solutions to the many environmental problems caused by such aquaculture.”

3. Explore synergies between Artisanal Coastal Fishing and Small-Scale Artisanal Aquaculture.

Shellfish farming and other small-scale family based marine fish farming shares much in common with artisanal coastal fishing, particularly from a social and economic perspective.

In the same way, industrial aquaculture production shares much in common with other high input, high turn over food production enterprises.

A different approach is therefore required for small-scale, artisanal family based operations on the one hand, and large scale, capital-intensive operations on the other.

Incorporating aquaculture into the CFP requires some consideration of these issues.

CFFA joins the Pure Salmon campaign

On May 25th, CFFA joined the Pure Salmon campaign which lobbies to raise the standards of farmed raised fish.

The Pure Salmon campaign calls on the global salmon farming industry to: 1. Adopt farming methods that eliminate disease transfer and salmon escapes; 2. Eliminate the use of antibiotics, biocides, and harmful chemicals in salmon farming; 3. Guarantee salmon farm waste is not discharged directly into the environment; 4. Stop the current depletion of wild fish stocks caused by the 3:1 ratio of slaughtered fish to salmon growth. 5. Prohibit the use of genetically engineered fish, feed, and other genetic modification; 6. Guarantee that salmon farming does not harm other wildlife; 7. Respect the views of coastal communities and other stakeholders in locating farms; and 8. Adopt and implement ethical business practices, including safe, healthy work environments and fair compensation.

Nouakchott Declaration of West Africa artisanal fisheries sector organisations

Assembled in Nouakchott (Mauritania) from 9 to 11 November 2009 for a workshop, organised by the Mauritanian National Fisheries Federation – artisanal section (FNP), the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA), on ‘Improving governance in the European Union - West African countries fisheries relations’, the West African artisanal fisheries’ organisations representatives wish to make the following contribution to the European Union consultation on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular the reform of its external policy:

About the objectives of the future European external fisheries policy, particularly the future fisheries partnerships between the European Union and West African countries:

• The objective of future EU external fisheries policy should be the promotion of responsible fisheries, in line with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries recommendations; partnerships should be integrated in the West African countries poverty reductions strategies.

• The future partnerships between West African countries and the European Union must establish a framework for good governance that allows for the transparent and participative design and implementation of national and regional actions and projects, that benefit the coastal communities fishing activities (research, control and surveillance, on-shore infrastructures, etc.) as well as their living and working conditions (health, education programmes, training – in particular for women).

• Through such good governance framework, the West African countries and the European Union should collaborate in order to promote the implementation of international and regional commitments in the countries national legislations, in particular the action plans based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Action Plan for the management of fishing capacity, Action Plan against IUU fishing, etc).

• In the future partnerships, it is indispensible to delink aspects to do with the promotion of sustainable fisheries, including the mobilisation of the necessary funds, from aspects to do with the access conditions applying to the European fleets.

The following aspects must be addressed in the good governance framework:

Access to resources and ecosystem management

The conditions applying to the fleets of European origin must respect the following conditions, based on the development of responsible West African fisheries:

• The limits for the exploitation of the resources and for the fishing capacity must be based on scientific advice and recommendations.

• All fish resources that can be caught in a sustainable way by the artisanal fisheries sector must be reserved for this sector, given its importance for direct and indirect job creation, for food security on a national and regional level, and for export revenue.

• Access to other stocks must be limited, so that overcapacity does not develop, and must be conditioned in particular to the obligation to land all catches locally, and to the use of non-destructive and selective gears. The allocation of fishing possibilities must take into consideration the risks in connection with by-catches, especially of stocks that are caught by artisanal fishers.

Investments

• Investments to improve infrastructures for landing and processing catches must be of the utmost priority – the local landing of all catches made within the EEZ will not only create employment and economic activity, but it will also allow better control of what is being caught.

• Investments are also needed in technologies that will enable to increase the value of the catches (especially the improvement of sanitary conditions and traceability in order to access international as well as regional and local markets). Support projects, including at a regional level, should be implemented in a localised manner. On this point, we want to point out that the SFP project of the European Union, which was managed in a centralised manner, did not give any tangible results for West African artisanal fisheries; hence, it would be advisable to evaluate it and draw the consequences for all future support programmes aimed at adapting artisanal fisheries to the standards.

• Partnerships for sustainable artisanal fisheries, between artisanal fisheries operators from West Africa and Europe, should be promoted, in particular with the objective of adding value to our products.

• Finally, investments are needed for the training of our fishers and literacy programmes for fishing communities, with a special attention to the women active in the sector.

The participation of the men and women active in the artisanal fisheries sector

• A permanent participatory mechanism must be put in place in order to ensure that people active in the artisanal fisheries sector and civil society are properly informed and participate in the entire process of the partnership design and implementation. In this respect, provision should be made to support the establishment (or the revitalisation) of fisheries consultative committees, consisting of artisanal fisheries sector representatives, as well as civil society organisations that have an interest in sustainable fisheries.

• It is of paramount importance to raise awareness with governments in the sub- region, as well as with regional institutions (in particular the SRFC), about the importance of the sector’s participation in the partnership.

• The artisanal fisheries sector stakeholders need urgently to be involved in the implementation of the European Union regulation to combat IUU fishing, in order to assess whether the flexibility measures introduced for the artisanal fisheries sector is sufficient to accommodate the characteristics of West African artisanal fisheries.

• The organisational process of the artisanal fisheries sectors must be supported, as it is an indispensable element for an active participation. In this context, particular attention must be given to giving specific support for the participation of women from the sector in the decision-making process.

Transparency, information and communication

• All the information needed to evaluate partnerships must be made available to the countries of the sub-region, so that the economic, social and ecological costs and benefits can be taken into account.

• These evaluations, as well as the existing evaluations of the partnership agreements made by the European Union, must be made available to the representatives of the sector and the civil society, so that a broad debate can be opened on the contents of the partnerships.

• The fisheries sector must be covered by the initiative for transparency in the exploitation of natural resources (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative - EITI) – support must be given to develop transparency indicators that are suitable for fisheries, and that will allow the sector and civil society to specify their demands in this respect.

• Certain areas have already been identified where it is necessary to have greater transparency: the issuing of fishing licences, the price offered to producers, the market price, and public aid.

• Transparency is also achieved thanks to the media – they raise public awareness about the sector’s concerns. Also, journalists from networks like REJOPRAO, which works together with the artisanal fisheries sector, help members of sector organisations to become better informed and thus facilitate their participation in decision-making. Partnerships must support this dynamic cooperation between the sector and the media.

Promoting a regional and international approach

A regional approach should be adopted, at least for the management of shared stocks (tuna, small pelagics). In this respect, a first step is to harmonise minimum access conditions, especially applicable to foreign vessels, for the access to shared stocks.

The partners involved should press for the establishment of a sub-committee for artisanal fisheries to the FAO Committee for Fisheries. This proposal was already made at the COFI meeting in 2009, but it needs to obtain stronger support.

We demand that artisanal fisheries sector representatives be included in the Sub-regional Fisheries Commission.

Coherence with the European Union development policy

• The partnerships must promote the development of intra-regional and national fish trade, and must not provoke market distortions which would be harmful to artisanal fishers.

• We reiterate that the artisanal fisheries sector have urged, since 2006, for the ratification of the TIR Convention (international road transport) so that our products can circulate more freely; we suggest that efforts to ratify should be reinforced through the partnerships.

• The suspension of cooperation and fisheries agreements for political reasons that are not linked to fisheries has a negative effect on the most vulnerable groups in society, especially the artisanal fishing communities. In those cases, commitments taken should be fulfilled, particularly concerning control and surveillance.

We ask this declaration to be transmitted to the European institutions – the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission – and to the authorities of the countries in the sub-region, the regional fisheries organisations, especially the SRFC, as well as to the non-governmental organisations that are involved in the sector at the sub-regional level.

Done in Nouakchott on the 11th of November 2009

Artisanal fisheries sector organisations signatories (by alphabetical order)

• Conseil National Inter-professionnel de la Pêche artisanale du Sénégal (CONIPAS) – Sénégal

• Fédération Nationale de Pêche de Mauritanie (FNP) – section artisanale - Mauritania

• Fédération Nationale des Coopératives de Pêche artisanale de Côte d’Ivoire (FENACOPECI) – Ivory Coast

• Gambia Artisanal Fisheries Development Agency , GAMFIDA - Gambia

• Réseau des Organisations professionnelles de pêche artisanale de Guinée Bissau (ROPA) – Guinea Bissau

• Organisation de la Pêche artisanale du Cap Vert – Cape Verde

• Union Nationale des Femmes fumeuses de Poisson de Guinée (UNFFPG) –Guinea

• Union nationale des Pêcheurs artisans de Guinée (UNPAG) – Guinea

Read the declaration here 

CFFA signed the A Coruña Declaration

CFFA has signed the A Coruña Declaration. By signing it, CFFA shows its support to the various artisanal fishing associations and NGOs from seven European countries gathered in Galicia (Spain) during the official Stakeholders Conference on the reform of the CFP held by the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency in A Coruña, May 2nd and 3rd.

This Declaration calls for sustainable artisanal coastal fisheries to be put at the heart of the CFP reform. Full version of the document and list of sigantories is avaible on the Coalition OCEAN2012 website.

Case studies: Environmental and Social Criteria for Allocating Access to Fisheries Resources

A new report released today by OCEAN2012 and Meridian Prime highlights environmental and social criteria that are successfully employed in allocating access to fisheries resources.

The report, Environmental and Social Criteria for Allocating Access to Fisheries Resources, offers case studies from ten different fisheries in Europe and around the world to show how reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) could be modelled.

Specifically, the report recommends :

•  Selectivity – Different fishing methods result in different amounts of by-catch. Fishers using fishing methods with low by-catch should be given priority access to the available resources ; 

• Environmental impact – The impact of different gears and practices on the environment, including damage to the seabed and pollution, vary widely. Fishers using less destructive fishing methods should be given priority access ; 

• Energy consumption – Some gear and vessel types, like some trawlers and seiners, require enormous amounts of energy compared to the fish they catch. Fishers using vessels and fishing methods that consume less energy per tonne of fish caught should be given priority access ; 

• Employment and working conditions – Fishing methods that provide more employment opportunities and have less environmental damage should be given priority access. Working conditions should comply with relevant international standards, notably the 2007 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention ; 
   History of compliance – Past compliance with the rules of the CFP by fishers as well as EU Member States should be considered when allocating access to fishing rights.

“The right to fish in EU waters should be granted to those who contribute to the goal of ending overfishing,” said Markus Knigge of the Pew Environment Group and OCEAN2012. “Allocating access to commonly held fisheries resources through the implementation of strict environmental and social criteria is an effective way of doing this.”

On April 22, 2009, the European Commission launched a reform of the CFP. As part of a broader, stepwise approach to returning EU fisheries to a sustainable footing, OCEAN2012 suggested replacing, or at least enhancing, relative stability with a system of allocating access to fisheries based on an explicit consideration of certain criteria. The allocation system should contribute to environmental sustainability, a more equitable distribution of access to available fishing resources and a culture of compliance.

FAO Committee on Fisheries - West African artisanal fishing sector: a proactive force for sustainable fisheries

Small-scale fisheries were the focus of attention of Governments participating in the twenty eighth session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, COFI, who discussed how to follow up on results of the World Conference on Small Scale Fisheries (4SSF), held in Bangkok, Thailand, October 2008.

A statement was issued by small scale fishing organizations, present at the event as observers, highlighting the importance of their sector, and calling for a Special Chapter to be included in FAO’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries on small scale fisheries. They also advised that COFI should consider setting up a Sub Committee devoted to Small Scale fisheries, and/or develop Technical Guidelines or International Plan of Action (IPOA) on small-scale fishing, which should be elaborated by FAO and its members through an inclusive process involving small-scale fishers and civil society.

Mamayawa Sandouno, from Guinea, a member of the ICSF recalled that these demands were made by civil society during the FAO 4SSF Conference. ‘Civil society organizations insisted there that development efforts in the fisheries sector, including in our West African countries, should be geared towards guaranteeing the freedom, the well-being and the dignity of all men and women working in the artisanal fisheries sector’, she said.

West African artisanal fishing sector: a proactive force for sustainable fisheries