In CFFA’s contribution to the European Commission’s consultation for a European Oceans Pact, we call for small-scale fishing (SSF) communities to be at the heart of ocean-related policies. The EU should guarantee rights-based and equitable decision-making processes about ocean uses, ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable facing more powerful blue economy industries.
Taking into account the role of SSF in food security and poverty eradication in developing countries, we also look at how can the EU support SSF and sustainable fisheries management in its ocean partnership with African countries.
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The European Commission has launched a public consultation which should feed into its “European Oceans Pact”, a framework bringing more coherence to all EU-related ocean policies, including the Common Fisheries Policy.
This European Oceans Pact will be fed by “Ocean dialogues”, where all stakeholders should have a say, and will be launched at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025 as an example of good ocean governance.
In her latest report, presented at the 58th session of the Human rights Council (February-April 2025), Astrid Puentes Riaño, the UN Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, identified “ocean governance in silos” as resulting in “failure to prevent ocean damage and to safeguard the environment and human rights”. She further asks that States and society should recognize that “ocean issues are also human rights issues” and that in addressing ocean governance, “priority must be given to securing the ocean-related rights of small-scale fishers […] through participatory, transparent and accountable processes.”
Small-scale fishers are the most numerous group of users of the ocean providing food, jobs, livelihoods, culture and welfare to European and third countries’ citizens. Coastal communities have also been the guardians of the oceans for times immemorial. Yet, they are also the most vulnerable sector in the competition for ocean space.
CFFA agrees with the UNSR and in our contribution to the consultation, we state that the pact should especially serve men and women who depend on ocean for their livelihoods and who are the most impacted by ocean industries. For this reason, we ask that sustainable small-scale fisheries and thriving coastal communities should be at the heart of the future European Ocean pact.
Our vision of the future of the oceans is one where small-scale fisheries, in particular low impact, and coastal communities are thriving, their access and tenure rights secured. They provide nutritious, affordable food from sustainable sources. They become co-managers of the coastal areas (sea and land-based activities), ensuring the protection of the ocean and supporting viable and resilient livelihoods. This provides decent employment, promotes generational renewal, gender equality and inclusivity, and fosters fair and participative value chain processes.
1. Rights-based and equitable decision-making processes about ocean uses
The blue economy push has increased the divergence of interests and in turn, has brought fierce competition over the use of oceans. This race among diverse and often competing interests for ocean food, resources, and space shows the importance of maritime spatial planning (MSP) decision-making.
The FAO report “Illuminating Hidden Harvests” sheds light on the manifold contributions of small-scale fishing communities to sustainable development, and their importance in eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition. On the photo, a small-scale fishing boat in Poland, courtesy of Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE).
In this planning, the most vulnerable stakeholders, such as small-scale fishers and coastal communities, are also often the ones that struggle in getting their voice and interests heard. An inclusive oceans governance should be human-rights-based, gender-sensitive and socially equitable. One first step for meaningful dialogue is that stakeholders can express themselves in their own language. A second step, is timely information and transparency about the processes and decisions so that dialogue can happen from an informed-basis.
Finally, the precautionary approach should be a guiding principle of MSP: no new ocean activity should be allowed if it negatively affects ecosystems and the communities that depend on them for their livelihoods. In this, it is important to consider, not only the economic dimension (productivity), but also the social (livelihoods, employment, social cohesion, healthy nutrition, etc.). The UNSR on the right to a clean and healthy environment reaffirms the obligation to prevent, control and reduce harm to the marine environment and recalls that environmental impact assessments must take into account the human rights of affected communities and the social and cultural dimensions.
2. The European Ocean pact external dimension: the ocean diplomacy
The European Ocean Pact will have significant implications for fisheries relations between Europe and Africa, the EU required to promote outside of the borders of the EU the same principles and values it applies inside. The EU should lead by example, bringing a human-rights and ecosystem-based approach into an ambitious EU Ocean diplomacy raising the global level of social and environmental standards.
a) Ocean and Fisheries arrangements with third countries
An EU Ocean diplomacy in Africa must be a partnership which puts African small-scale fisheries at the centre as a sector which is essential for food security of the poorest and most disadvantaged populations. The ACP Ministers for the Ocean, inland waters and fisheries have already done so in their latest Declaration, by putting an emphasis on small scale fisheries, describing them as “the mainstay of OACPS' fisheries sector with longstanding and enduring roots in local communities, traditions, and values.”
The socio-economic implications - supporting coastal communities to reach SDG 2 and 14 through co-management: The pact emphasizes the socio-economic importance of small-scale fisheries. In Africa, small-scale fishers play a very important role in food security. This should lead to initiatives that support coastal communities in Africa, promoting their livelihoods and integrating their needs into larger fisheries (co)-management frameworks, in a way that fulfils Sustainable Development Goal 2 and 14. Until now, some initiatives have been carried out, but they have been implemented in silos or in ad hoc ways. The EU must take into account the socio-economic and cultural context of coastal and inland fisheries.
Sustainable fisheries management - an opportunity for improved regional collaboration: The pact focusses on sustainable fisheries management, which can encourage collaboration between European and African nations to develop national and regional harmonised frameworks for responsible fisheries that protect fish resources, marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them for their livelihoods. These frameworks should be participative.
Marine biodiversity conservation - A bottom-up participative conservation: The pact also focusses on marine biodiversity conservation. That can facilitate participative conservation efforts that protects African marine resources and habitats from degradation, whilst promoting thriving fishing communities.
Addressing climate change - building resilient fishing communities which guarantee a future for the next generations. The pact promotes initiatives to address the impacts of climate change on fisheries, it can support both European and African efforts to develop adaptive strategies that enhance resilience for African fishing communities and ecosystems.
EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements are a useful tool to address both the need for fisheries management and support to coastal communities, including facing the biodiversity and climate change crisis. For this, they should be transformed into governance arrangements, where the funds for fisheries access are decoupled from the sectoral support funds. These latter should be increased to respond to the high costs of sustainable management in partner countries and should be progressively adapted to include the advantages and conditionalities of EU budget support. Access costs should be fully paid by the EU operators. The EU operators would benefit from the security of such a governance framework, and the improved fisheries management in the third country which would bring a better playing field in facing other foreign operators.
The EU should also explore how to include joint fishing ventures under such a governance framework. Currently, the EU encourages the creation of joint fishing ventures between its operators and local companies. However, since these vessels operate under the flag of the third country, nothing ensures transparency and sustainability of the operations. Such joint ventures are often operating coastal trawlers which are competing with and threatening the livelihoods of the local small-scale fishers and the food security of African populations. The EU and third countries must make sure that a sustainable and transparent framework covers these operations, ensuring they do not go against the development goals of the third country nor compete or threaten small-scale fisheries.
Taking example from what the EU is already doing in its waters, the EU should continue developing regional strategies, as some of the issues at stake can only be addressed through cooperation with several regional states. The EU has the advantage of a network of SFPAs in two regions of the world which face manyfold challenges in sustainable management.
Finally, looking at a global “Ocean diplomacy”, the EU can lead by example in ocean governance and actively engage to promote transparent, fair, sustainable access arrangements for all distant water fleets.
B) Leveraging the market card
The European seafood market is one of the most lucrative in the world. Europeans are champion consumers of seafood and more than 70% of the fish Europeans consume is imported. On the one hand, the EU has announced a “competitiveness compass”, and this means having a look at the way it trades with third countries, leveraging “the power of the market”. Indeed, the EU fleets are subject to high social and environmental standards but are then facing competition from imported products which do not abide by the same standards.
On the other hand, it must continue supporting access to the European market for those fishing sustainably and bringing the most social benefits, for example, products from small-scale fisheries, such as is done through the General System of Preferences scheme.
First, all bilateral free trade agreements should include reinforced chapters on sustainable development that address specific fisheries concerns and secondly, they should incorporate EU IUU regulations. The EU should also be working on looking for a specific due diligence fisheries policy, as the European Parliament already identified the gap in 2018 and there is a consensus among fisheries stakeholders. Finally, the EU must promote its standards in all international forums.
Fishmeal production in west africa: a case example of the need for more coherence
Fishmeal and fish oil factories are multiplying in West Africa due to a growing global demand. Fishmeal is used for feeding pigs, chickens, as well as carnivorous fish, like industrially farmed salmon or shrimps, while fish oil is also used in nutrition complements, beauty products and by the pharmaceutical industry. It is estimated that to produce 1 kg of fishmeal, 5 kg of fresh wild-caught fish are required. The growth of this industry in the region is a key factor leading to the overexploitation of small pelagic fish, which are a staple of the diet in the region, traditionally caught by artisanal fishers and smoked and dried by women fish processors.
Apart from the loss in jobs and livelihoods and the pollution of the plants, the redirection of fresh fish from human consumption to animal feed is threatening food security of the region, and hence violating the right to food of the West African populations. This is something the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food highlighted in his report on fisheries and the right to food in the context of climate change. Indeed, one of the key demands of West African small-scale fishing communities is that small pelagic resources are reserved to those who fish sustainably and for human consumption.
The EU is a vocal defender of using West African fish resources for human consumption, rather than for processing into fish oil and fishmeal. Additionally, the EU fleets do not have access to these resources under its Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements. In some cases, like the Mauritania SFPA, it is actively involved and supporting the small pelagics management plan.
However, both fishmeal and fish oil from West Africa are imported onto the EU market. The EU is likewise a major market for farmed salmon and sea bass produced in countries, such as Norway, Turkey or Scotland, that also use these products from West Africa.
Farmed salmon is believed to be “sustainable” by most European consumers, and it is often advertised so, even though certifications do not cover the whole value chain: they may cover the sustainability of the production in countries like Scotland or Norway, but not whether the fish feed used to feed the salmon is sustainably sourced.
Due to the high amounts of wild-fish required for fish feed, carnivorous fish farming depending on fishmeal and fish oil is not sustainable nor can it be ever made sustainable. The EU cannot continue to import fishery products that run counter to the principles of sustainability that it advocates.
Conclusion
The European Oceans pact is a welcome initiative to break the work in silos so that the ocean, and those who depend on it for their livelihoods can be protected. However, for this, it is essential that the Commission puts small-scale fishing communities at the centre of such a pact, protecting them from more powerful industries that are competing with them for ocean space. Decision-making processes must be transparent and guarantee their participation.
Externally, the EU should bring a human-rights and ecosystem-based approach into global ocean governance, encouraging other countries and businesses to uphold human rights, and the highest social and environmental standards.
Small-scale fisheries at the centre of the pact
Due to their contributions to food security, livelihoods, culture, welfare and ocean conservation, small-scale fishing communities should be at the centre of a European Ocean Pact. In its external dimension, the EU Ocean diplomacy must ensure to promote an ocean governance that secures sustainable small-scale fishing communities.
A human-rights based approach in ocean governance
In decision-making about ocean uses, the EU must ensure the informed participation of all concerned, especially those that are most vulnerable. The processes must be transparent, human-rights based, gender-sensitive and socially equitable.
From fisheries arrangements to governance arrangements with third countries
The EU must increase its support to sustainable fisheries management through budget support. For this, it must decouple funds for access from sectoral support. Access costs should be fully paid by the EU operators.
Coherence between fisheries and trade policies
Bilateral free trade agreements should include reinforced chapters on sustainable development that address specific fisheries concerns and incorporate EU IUU regulations. The EU should also be working on looking for a specific due diligence fisheries policy.
Banner photo: Women and children with a beach seine in Ilondé, Guinea Bissau by Carmen Abd Ali.
Box photo: A fishmeal factory in Mauritania by Francisco Marí.
The EU Long Distance Advisory Council (LDAC) and CFFA have published the report of the seminar on European fishing investments in third countries they jointly organized last May in Berlin, in the headquarters of the NGO Bread For the World.