The Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements is a platform of European and African-based organizations that raises awareness about the impacts of the EU-Africa fisheries arrangements on African artisanal fishing communities
OUR TEAM
Based in Brussels, we advocate at European institution level so that the voice of artisanal fishing communities in third countries is heard.
Coordinator
Senior Advisor
Communications officer
Office manager
OUR STEERING COMMITTEE
In 2017, CFFA’s board decided to create a steering committee that would guide and monitor the activities of our organization. This committee is responsible to validate the advocacy strategic decisions of the coalition and is composed of representatives from partner organizations.
OUR BOARD AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Board members are nominated by the General Assembly for a 6-year renewable mandate.
Hélène Bours
has worked on fisheries issues for more than 30 years, both at European and international level. Hélène supported the creation of CFFA and is a member of the Board.
BRiAN O’RIORDAN
has worked for international fisheries issues for 40 years and is now policy advisor of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe. He is member of CFFA’s GA.
Jacques briard
worked for the Belgian development NGO Entraide et Fraternité and supported CFFA since its inception. He is in CFFA’s board since his retirement and is now its secretary.
MICHAEL ËARLE
was the policy advisor for fisheries for the group of the Greens at the European Parliament for over 30 years. He currently is CFFA’s treasurer and supports the work as an expert.
MARIE CLAUDE LAGASSE
works for the Société des Auxiliaires des Missions (a Belgian NGO) and has supported CFFA in admin matters since 2000. She is president of the board.
IN MEMORIAM
In this section we honour the memory of those who are not anymore among us but who contributed to CFFA’s history and to promoting the rights and livelihoods of small-scale fishers across the world.
Abbé
pierre
gilLet
A priest, an engineer and an economist, he supported small-scale fishing communities in India for 14 years. Back in Belgium, he participated in the creation of ICSF (1984), the launch of the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (1997) and the creation of CFFA (1992), of which he was treasurer until his departure in 2015.
El Hadja Mamayawa Sandouno
An ICSF member, she supported the participation of women in artisanal fishing in decision-making processes. She held several positions in the Fisheries Administration of the Republic of Guinea, including head of the gender and equity department. She left us in 2019.
El Hadj Dao Gaye
A fisher for more than 50 years, he made the voice of Senegalese artisanal fishers heard in Europe and was the first fisher to participate in negotiations for a fishing agreement with the EU in 1994. He was the first president of CONIPAS and the initiator of World Fisheries Day, celebrated every 21 November since 1997. He left us in 2016.
Clotilde de jamblinne
In 1984, she helped to launch the European office of the International Collective in Support of Fishers and Fishworkers (ICSF) and supported the creation of CFFA to enable small-scale African fishers to defend their rights before European institutions. She our first board president. She left us in 2023.
Félix Randrianaso-avina
Director of the Apostleship of the Sea Madagascar, founder and president of the Collective of Malagasy Maritime Organisations, he highlighted the importance of Malagasy fishers, giving them a voice, whether on the EU SFPA, or on the need for a protected area reserved to small-scale fishers. He left us in 2017.
ANTóNIA ADAMA DJALÓ
President of the National Network of Women in Artisanal Fisheries in Guinea-Bissau. She worked tiressly for the improvement of working and living conditions of women in small-scale fisheries in Africa. She was founder and vice-president of CAOPA when she left us in 2025.
Dr Ahmed Mahmoud Cherif
Former director of fisheries in Mauritania, he worked to ensure that small-scale fishers had priority access to resources. Thanks to his work, in July 2012 the SFPA included measures to ensure there was no competition between European vessels and local fishers, particularly for octopus. He left us in 2018.