For the post-Covid-19 period, CAOPA calls for decent working conditions for artisanal fisheries

For the post-Covid-19 period, CAOPA calls for decent working conditions for artisanal fisheries

On the occasion of an online meeting of ATLAFCO, artisanal fisheries professional organisations are calling on African governments to ratify and implement the ILO Convention 188 on Work in Fishing and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Small-scale Fisheries.

Liberian fishers protest against the potential issuance of fishing licences to six Chinese supertrawlers

Liberian fishers protest against the potential issuance of fishing licences to six Chinese supertrawlers

Recently built in China, these vessels, Hao Yuan Yu 860, 861, 862, 863, 865 and 866, arrived mid-June in Monrovia after failing to undertake fishing operations in Mozambique. This demand follows a trend of licence requests by vessels of Chinese origin in several West African countries, such as Senegal and Ghana.

"This is the first time fishing communities are seeing a concrete positive impact of the agreement with the European Union"

"This is the first time fishing communities are seeing a concrete positive impact of the agreement with the European Union"

Through a fund set up under the EU-Côte d'Ivoire SFPA, the women fish processor cooperative purchased a refrigerated container and placed it in San Pedro, a fish-producing area in the west of the country, which lacked conservation facilities and where large quantities of artisanal fisheries landings were lost as a result.

Old fantasies: the French Citizen’s convention for climate proposes to replace fisheries with aquaculture

Old fantasies: the French Citizen’s convention for climate proposes to replace fisheries with aquaculture

Their report, presented end of June, highlights that fisheries are responsible for an important proportion of “livestock and agriculture CO2 emissions”, but omits to recognize that other ocean-based industries are more polluting.

Senegal: The fisheries ministry will not issue any of the licences to the 54 vessels of Chinese and Turkish origin

Senegal: The fisheries ministry will not issue any of the licences to the 54 vessels of Chinese and Turkish origin

The Senegalese branch of Transparency International underscored the corruption and lack of transparency in fisheries governance and provided recommendations to improve it.

EU-Seychelles SFPA: The PECH rapporteur calls for more transparency and participation of the local fisheries sector

EU-Seychelles SFPA: The PECH rapporteur calls for more transparency and participation of the local fisheries sector

During the debate in the EP PECH Committee, the European Commission also proposed to reorient some sectoral support funds to address the challenges the local fishing communities are facing with the Covid-19.

Hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis, Ivorian women in artisanal fisheries also see it as an opportunity to address long postponed issues

Hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis, Ivorian women in artisanal fisheries also see it as an opportunity to address long postponed issues

After weeks of meetings with national authorities and partners, USCOFEP-CI suggests a plan to improve living and working conditions for women fish processors, and asks for some of the EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) sectoral support funds to be redirected to the fight against Covid-19.

The EP Fisheries Committee voted the extension of the EU-Mauritania SFPA protocol, highlighting issues for renegotiation

The EP Fisheries Committee voted the extension of the EU-Mauritania SFPA protocol, highlighting issues for renegotiation

The report by MEP Clara Aguilera cautions that this extension should not make negotiations for the new protocol drag, and includes key demands from the Mauritanian small-scale fisheries sector, such as progress on transparency and the use of sectoral support for the sustainable development of the local sector.

Senegalese fisheries stakeholders protest against its government intention to issue 54 fishing licenses to Chinese and Turkish vessels

Senegalese fisheries stakeholders protest against its government intention to issue 54 fishing licenses to Chinese and Turkish vessels

In the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, the Senegalese consultative committee for the attribution of fishing licences was consulted via email for this allocation. Several fisheries organisations have raised sustainability concerns and warned it could endanger artisanal fishing communities’ livelihoods.

African artisanal fishermen call for measures to help them cope with the COVID-19 epidemic

African artisanal fishermen call for measures to help them cope with the COVID-19 epidemic

CAOPA sent a letter to their fisheries ministers, to international and regional organisations, to several MEPs and to the EU representation in Dakar reminding them of the importance of the sector for food security.

Stories on artisanal fisheries: call for proposal to African journalists

Stories on artisanal fisheries: call for proposal to African journalists

The Network of Journalists for Responsible and Sustainable Fisheries in Africa (REJOPRA) offers grant to reporters for investigative articles and videos on how small-scale fisheries face and adapt to climate change and overexploitation of resources.

Civil society and artisanal fisheries organisations react to the new EU-Senegal fisheries protocol

Civil society and artisanal fisheries organisations react to the new EU-Senegal fisheries protocol

As the proposal is being presented at the European Parliament PECH committee and to the Senegalese National Assembly, APRAPAM and CAOPA ask the government to publish all access agreements, demand more transparency on the use of sectoral support funds and express concern on the access to some fish stocks.

European Commission: “Given the importance of fisheries and aquaculture, any diversification of the African economy should fully build on these traditional sectors”

European Commission: “Given the importance of fisheries and aquaculture, any diversification of the African economy should fully build on these traditional sectors”

In a response letter to a joint call by 16 civil society organisations for an Inclusive Oceans Strategy, the European Commission says they are “fully aware” of the value of Small-scale Fisheries.