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.
As the EU is negotiating a new protocol under the existing agreement, concrete steps should be taken to ensure the sustainable exploitation of sardinella in the region, including increased sampling of small pelagic catches, applying the recommendations of the FAO working group and starting consultations with neighbouring countries on joint management of shared stocks.
The launch on Friday of the report on oceans by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an opportunity to challenge the ecological credentials of the ‘blue growth’ concept. This dangerously claims that economic growth in ocean industries can be done in a sustainable way. However it is now urgent that this unproven claim is scrutinised, and alternatives to economic growth for ocean economies are given more serious attention.
For small-scale fisheries organisations it is important that the international push for transparency is not dominated by anti-IUU campaigns. Poor information sharing between governments and small-scale fisheries affects a much wider set of issues relating to tenure rights and ensuring fair and sustainable access to fish.
In our new paper we consider how governments manage resource rents from the blue economy. An interesting proposal is to establish a ‘commons’ fund—an independent permanent fund that invests levies from the commercial use of oceans and coastal resources, and shares the interests in these investments with all citizens via a universal cash payment.
To mark the first International day for the fight against IUU fishing, CFFA's brief paper looks critically at the concept of IUU fishing and the policy ideas on how best to fight it. We argue that popular images of IUU fishing are misleading and fail to reflect the nature of the most serious threats to coastal communities. A key aspect lies with the corrupt relationships between governments, political elites and businesses exploiting marine and coastal resources. Because of this, we argue that relying on 'criminal justice' as a solution is insufficient for coastal communities and small-scale fishers.
You can download the paper by clicking here.
The decision by the EC to impose sanctions on Comoros, and to issue warnings to Liberia, for failing to act responsibly as a flag state, is justified. However, the primary issue in this case is the fact that both countries operate open registries and have demonstrated little ability to control the fishing vessels on these. By looking at the caproate interests behind these registries, it is ambiguous whether imposing sanctions on the flag state is either effective or fair. It is important that further efforts to confront these open registries also bring into the open the hidden vested interests.
There is very little written about the role of fishing agents in Africa. Yet there are those who feel they are central to a range of problems in the sector, and work to undermine sustainable and responsible fisheries management. The problem seems to stem from systemic corruption and conflicts of interests. However, in most countries foreign fishing vessels are mandated by law to use an agent for a range of services. It is time for this situation to be reviewed, and there needs to be further debate on how the role of agents needs to be reformed, and whether some services provided by agents are in fact necessary - particularly services which should be provided by national fishing authorities.
With the growth of fishmeal production in West Africa, CFFA partners are organising a regional meeting to discuss the local impacts on food security, employment, resources and health. Here we highlight the key concerns and set out some questions to inform the meeting. Instructions are provided on how you can contribute to a online discussion that will lead up to this event. Please share your views!
