Small pelagics exploitation in West Africa: Side event at COFI

CAOPA (African Confederation of Artisanal Fishing organisations) and CFFA (Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements) participated at the FAO Committee on Fisheries in July 2012. Together, they organised a side event on the exploitation of small pelagics in West Africa, and the sustainability and food security issues arising.

The meeting started with a statement by Gaoussou Gueye (General secretary CAOPA), highlighting the importance of small pelagics for West African fishing communities and their demands to FAO and its members, which included:

  •  To document better the impacts of the various types of exploitation of small pelagics on food security;

  •  To recommend to states and regional fisheries organizations to consider the role of small pelagics in the ecosystems and in food security of developing countries populations when they are to make decisions for managing these resources and allocating access to these resources;

  •  To support initiatives and efforts that will contribute to establish a concerted management of small pelagic resources in West Africa;

  •  To support efforts by fishing communities to actively contribute to the management of these resources in a concerted and sustainable way;

  •  To support an aquaculture based on species that do not require feed made from wild fish, that answers the demands of local and regional markets, and that is not contributing to the unsustainable exploitation of small pelagics stocks.

This statement was followed by an analysis of the main developments affecting small pelagics exploitation in West Africa and policy issues arising, by Dr Andre Standing, from (TransparentSea / CFFA). Some recent developments (2010-2012) which can have a negative impact on food security in West Africa, were examined:

  •  The return of former Soviet Union ‘super trawlers’ to Senegal;

  •   The new fisheries agreement between Chinese Poly Hondone Company and Mauritania;

  •   The expansion of fishing and fish trade by Pacific Andes group in West Africa.

Various factors influencing expanding investments and industrial fishing in West Africa’s small-pelagics were presented:

  •  Links with industrial aquaculture (production of fish oil and fish meal);

  •  Overcapitalization and decreasing profitability of global Distant water fishing fleets targeting small pelagic;

  •  The growth of China’s overseas fishing sector.

A final presentation was made by Brian O’Riordan (ICSF), on the main factors that have affected the small pelagic exploitation by super trawlers in South Pacific, based on a case study of the over-exploited jack mackerel, and the implications it may have for West Africa, with the arrival of these fleets in the region.

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