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?
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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

Commission Consultation on Rights-Based Management tools in fisheries

For NGOs (see list), the objective of this debate is to determine, by using rights based tools for fisheries management, how to promote environmentally sustainable fisheries that are economically viable, generating quality jobs, which redistribute the benefits generated equitably, and which protect the social fabric of coastal communities.

Given the large variety of management systems currently applied, we think that a first necessary step is to document the best practices that, in the various Member States and elsewhere, promote fisheries that respect both ecosystems and coastal communities, and are economically viable.

On this issue, we would like to highlight that, in order for appropriate management systems to be applied to the particular situations existing in the various regions, “the large variety of management systems currently applied in the European Community and its member states” is a strength. In our view, concerns over transparency and efficiency (which the Commission attributes to the diversity of systems) result more from the way these systems are implemented (opacity of procedures, lack of control, etc) than from their diversity.

Read the NGO position on RBM

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

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EU Coherence debate: Common Fisheries Policy and Fisheries Development in ACP countries

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In the context of the debate on coherence between the various EU policies, it needs to be examined how the Cotonou Convention objectives are taken into account in the various aspects of the Common Fisheries Policy that have an impact on ACP countries fisheries.

EU Coherence debate: Common Fisheries Policy and Fisheries Development in ACP countries

Quality and Traceability: Issues for the ACP artisanal fishing sector

Quality and traceability of fish products represent particular challenges for the ACP artisanal fishing sector. Given the key role this sector plays for ACP populations’ food security as well as, increasingly, for supplying international fish markets like the EU, addressing these issues in an efficient and appropriate way is vital for the artisanal fishing sector, coastal communities and fish consuming populations.

Quality and Traceability: Issues for the ACP artisanal fishing sector

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The European Union races to catch the last West African fish

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“There will be no more fish around 2050”. A few weeks ago, the world was shocked by a scientists report telling us our oceans are getting empty. Decreasing fish resources plays an important role in how fisheries relations between the European Union (EU) and developing countries are evolving. This is particularly the case in West Africa, where the EU is signing bilateral deals. The most important of these agreements, both in terms of EU’s access to developing countries resources and in terms of financial compensation, is the fisheries partnership agreement between EU and Mauritania.

“There will be no more fish around 2050”. A few weeks ago, the world was shocked by a scientists report telling us our oceans are getting empty. Decreasing fish resources plays an important role in how fisheries relations between the European Union (EU) and developing countries are evolving. This is particularly the case in West Africa, where the EU is signing bilateral deals. The most important of these agreements, both in terms of EU’s access to developing countries resources and in terms of financial compensation, is the fisheries partnership agreement between EU and Mauritania.

In November 2006, there were two important news for Mauritanian people: the first democratic elections were held and the first fisheries “partnership” agreement with the EU was finally adopted by the European parliament. If the fairness of the elections was a cause for joy, some Mauritanians, the artisanal fishermen in particular, were less convinced about the fairness of the fisheries partnership agreement signed with the EU.

Article for Ecologia Politica: The European Union races to catch the last West African fish

 

Sub regional Fisheries Committee (SRFC) meeting on artisanal fisheries management

2 october 2006. Following the proposal of the SRFC (West Africa Sub Regional Fisheries Committee) permanent secretary and the request by artisanal fishing professional organisations from Guinea (UNPAG), Mauritania (FNP-section artisanale) and Senegal (CONIPAS), these organisations were invited to participate to the SRFC meeting on artisanal fisheries management, held in Praia from 26th till 29th september 2006.

Sub regional Fisheries Committee (SRFC) meeting

Mauritania EU Fisheries Partnership Agreement: What impacts on fisheries sustainable development in Mauritania?

On 24 July 2006, it was announced that a fisheries agreement had been reached between Mauritania and the European Union. The agreement, entering into force on 1 August 2006, will have duration of six years. In exchange, the EU will grant financial compensation of 86 million euros per year. An additional amount will be coming from ship owners’ contributions and is estimated at 22 million euros, in the event that all fishing possibilities are utilised.

This document discusses a series of issues aimed at determining what impacts the agreement will have on sustainable fisheries development in Mauritania. It includes a comparison between the outcome of the Mauritania-EU partnership negotiations and the expectations set out by Mauritania’s small-scale fishermen, recognised by all parties as key players in the development of sustainable fisheries in Mauritania.

Mauritania EU Fisheries Partnership Agreement: What impacts on fisheries sustainable development in Mauritania?