CFFA and six other European and African organisations publish recommendations to improve the sustainability of EU-African fishing arrangements, including transparency, compliance with European obligations, increased scientific knowledge and the rethinking of the financial support objectives
In a world where fishing resources are increasingly coveted and marine habitats face threats posed by climate change and human activities, both the European Union (EU) and third country Coastal States involved in Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPA) must take their responsibilities to sustainably manage fisheries. These include supporting the development of third countries coastal and fishing communities and the protection of sensitive species such as seabirds from the impact of fishing.
SFPA sectoral support provided to Coastal States by the EU is essential to institutional capacity building, the development of scientific research and better monitoring, control and surveillance. However, key challenges remain, such as transparency and participation in the decision making and implementation process, which must include the key stakeholders from the sector: local fishermen, women fish processors, scientists and NGOs, and ensuring that public money supports the public good. Other aspects of SFPAs can contribute to food security and to protect local small-scale fisheries. This can be achieved with measures such as zoning reserved to artisanal fishing activities, supporting better fisheries management, and reserving a portion of caught fish for landing, processing and consumption at the local or regional level.
Last November, BirdLife Europe & Central Asia, the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) European networks, together with their African partners Coalition nationale de plaidoyer Environnemental à Madagascar (CNPE), Confédération Africaine des Organisations de Pêche Artisanale (CAOPA), the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM) and the Federation of Artisanal Fishermen of Indian Ocean (FPAOI) gathered in Brussels for a series of discussions. At the heart of this: how to make Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements between the EU and Coastal States in west and east Africa truly sustainable so that they contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Meetings with key decision makers from the European institutions and a technical workshop were conducted. Based on the outcomes of these discussions, these seven organisations present the following recommendations:
Women issues are largely overlooked when negotiating a fishing agreement, which reflects the general lack of awareness and data on their actual contribution to the whole fish value chain. These are some recommendations to make these EU-Africa partnerships more gender inclusive.