Access agreements, Artisanal fisheries, Governance, Transparency, Sectoral support
Anaïd Panossian
What future for Sustainable Fisheries ...

In view of the global evaluation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) that will be carried out by the Commission in 2021, the author highlights the key points which will need to be assessed from the perspective of the impacts on African coastal communities. The author also suggests essential improvements to be made for the future of SFPAs so that they better respond to the needs of these communities.

What future for Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements?

Illegal fishing

CAOPA at SRFC/FAO/EC workshop on monitoring

Sidahmed Ould Abeid, Chairman of the CAOPA, has been invited to the Workshop of the validation and adoption of the Action Plan for national and sub-regional cooperation in the field of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), organized in Banjul by SRFC, FAO and the European Commission, 7-10 March.

He highlighted the importance of including participative surveillance in the programmes, and received the support of the Permanent Secretary of the SRFC. The latter asked States to ensure the participation of professional organizations into their monitoring programmes, given that they have a lot of important information in their possession, and to include them in their national delegations to similar meetings from now on.

Participative surveillance in West Africa

On the margins of the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, following up on a first meeting on the margins of the CAMFA in September 2010, CFFA met with its partners, the organisations of artisanal fisheries in Guinea and Senegal, to assess past or current participative surveillance projects in these two countries and make a series of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of participative surveillance in the fight against IUU fishing in West Africa.

These recommendations were presented to the European Commission during a meeting on IUU fishing between DG-MARE’s Fisheries Control Policy unit and NGOs active in this domain.

CFFA and its partners will closely follow further developments on regional surveillance, including in the SRFC waters, and will seek to involve fishermen in these processes.

Read the full document:

Participative surveillance: Recommendations

CFFA Workshop on IUU fishing at European Maritime Day in Gijon

On May 19th, CFFA organised a workshop entitled "Implementation of the IUU regulation in developing countries: Organising the dialogue with third countries stakeholders". Developing countries fisheries stakeholders, particularly the small scale fishing sector, are facing specific challenges for the implementation of the IUU regulation.

Although there is still little experience of the implementation (5 months), third countries fishing sector stakeholders (fishermen, exporters, competent authorities, NGOs) already have some examples to share about the concrete issues, - problems and opportunities-, arising from the implementation of the regulation, and suggestions to make about how to ensure the smooth implementation of the regulation, and how a sustained dialogue can be established between the EU and third countries stakeholders to ensure the objective is met: fight efficiently IUU fishing.

Presentations of the panel:

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EU proposed regulation to combat IUU fishing: Issues for Developing countries

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CFFA generally welcomes the comprehensive package of measures proposed by the European Commission to combat IUU fishing. The proposal foresees actions to be taken by or against flag States, port States and market States as well as actors in the fishing sector all along the chain of custody and will go a long way toward curtailing IUU fishing, both within and outside EU waters, both by EU-flagged and/or owned fleets as well as foreign fleets.

However, although the proposal acknowledges the need to help developing countries to fight IUU fishing, it fails to propose concrete measures to that effect. Without such concrete support, the measures proposed, such as the trade related measures, will constitute new trade barriers for legally-caught fish from developing countries, especially those fish products from the artisanal fishing sector.

Read CFFA’s input at DFID meeting

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Court of Auditors report: EU Common Fisheries Policy falls short on IUU

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On December 4th 2007, the European Court of Auditors published a Special Report, exposing the failure by Member States to effectively control fishing activities by their fleets and demonstrates the urgent need to seriously strengthen EU control and inspection systems. Despite claims that existing rules are sufficient to prevent or seriously limit Illegal, Unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing by EU fleets, the Court of Auditor‟s report states that “despite recent improvements, the control, inspection and sanction mechanisms in place are not capable of ensuring that the rules on managing the fisheries resources, … are effectively applied.” adding that “If the political authorities want the CFP to achieve its objective of sustainable exploitation of the fisheries resources, the present control, inspection and sanction mechanisms must be strengthened considerably.”

In that context, Development NGOs reiterate their support to the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In addition, the Commission tabled a proposal on the management of „Authorisations for fishing activities of Community fishing vessels outside Community waters and the access of third country vessels to Community waters” which, we feel, contains effective control measures and sanctions complementing those in the proposal on IUU fishing. In particular, we welcome the fact that the Commission recognises that the Community has a responsibility, as flag state, in the correct application of the fisheries agreements with third countries. Therefore, we fully support the proposal that fishing authorisations for vessels that have not complied with their obligations during the preceding year, or that have been blacklisted as “IUU vessel”, should be refused.

More information:

Court of Auditors report: EU Common Fisheries Policy falls short on IUU

CFFA position on IUU control for ACFA

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Proposal by the European Commission for measures to combat IUU fishing: CFFA preliminary comments

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CFFA welcomes the comprehensive package of measures proposed by the European Commission to combat IUU fishing. The proposal foresees actions to be taken by or against flag States, port States and market States as well as actors in the fishing sector all along the chain of custody and will go a long way toward curtailing IUU fishing, both within and outside EU waters, both by EU-flagged and/or owned fleets as well as foreign fleets. However, although the proposal acknowledges the need to help developing countries to fight IUU fishing, it fails to propose concrete measures to that effect. Without such concrete support, the measures proposed, such as the trade related measures, will constitute new trade barriers for legally-caught fish from developing countries, especially those fish products from the artisanal fishing sector.

More information:

The fight against IUU fishing in West Africa: Good governance and regional cooperation are top priorities

 

Tensions between Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry around the arrest two weeks ago by the Sierra Leone navy of eight Guinean nationals, including military, police and fisheries inspectors, are still running high.

Sierra Leone says the Guinean nationals carried out a pirate attack on two Chinese fishing vessels licensed to fish in their waters. The Guinean boat was arrested well inside Sierra Leone waters, and the men on board were found with AK-47 automatic rifles and bags of high value fish taken off the two locally-licensed Chinese fishing vessels, the Lian Run 23 and the Lian Run 24. According to Guinean authorities, the men were on a legitimate fisheries protection patrol, although they couldn’t explain what the Guineans were doing within Sierra Leone’s waters.

"That incident shows there is an urgent need for increased cooperation between West African States", said Hélène Bours, expert on illegal fishing for the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA). "If, as would appear from reports received, the Sierra Leone story is correct, this would be a good example of gamekeeper turned poacher. It strongly supports arguments for addressing governance issues and corruption as a matter of priority, rather than simply providing fast boats and other control assets and simply expecting them to be used effectively by the relevant authorities." declared Tim Bostock, Fisheries Support Programme Coordinator for the UK Department for International Development.

The fight against IUU fishing in West Africa: Good governance and regional cooperation are top priorities

Improving traceability for fish products imported into the EU markets to combat IUU fishing

The EU as a bloc is the world’s largest market for fish, accounting for 40% of global imports. The African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) represent an important fish-trading partner for the EU. EU trade statistics show that in 2006, the value of EU fish imports from ACP countries was around 1.4 billion euros, i.e. about 12% of total value of extra EU fish imports.

A 2006 study warns about the EU’s declining self sufficiency from catches in its own waters, estimated to be just 40 % in 2006. This situation, together with the recent enlargement of the EU from 15 to 25 member states, provides ACP fishermen and exporters with significant opportunities, so long as they can comply with an increasingly complex set of standards, such as the ones that are being put in place for traceability. Traceability meets several objectives, - to ensure the origin, the sanitary quality of a product-, but it will also become a tool for the fight against IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated) fishing.

Improving traceability for fish products imported into the EU markets to combat IUU fishing

Statement on IUU fishing issues for African coastal communities

27th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries

We, representatives of African small scale fishing communities and professional organisations, welcome FAO’s efforts to help combat IUU fishing. Our communities suffer greatly from industrial trawlers coming, at night, to fish illegally in zones which are normally reserved for small scale fishing. They destroy our resources, they destroy our coastal zones, they destroy our nets and they even kill our fishermen, when fishing with their lights off, they collide with our artisanal boats. We would like to draw your attention on the following:

Read the whole statement on IUU fishing issues for African coastal communities