A new study warns that a potential EU ban on Senegalese fish exports over IUU fishing concerns could seriously harm artisanal fishing communities. Although not responsible for governance shortcomings, fishers and processors could face income losses, unemployment, food insecurity, and migration risks.
Ivory Coast’s mangroves are rapidly declining due to urbanisation, illegal land reclamation, deforestation, and pollution. This degradation intensifies coastal erosion, endangers local communities, and depletes fish stocks. Despite ongoing conservation and reforestation efforts, significant coordination challenges remain.
From 23 to 27 February 2026, during the second session of the FAO Subcommittee on Fisheries Management, 40 NGOs reiterated that sustainable fisheries management cannot be achieved without fully recognising the role of small-scale fisheries communities in resource governance.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) has updated its standard to broaden the scope of transparency in the sector. Version 2.0 focuses on defining small-scale fisheries at the national level, publishing fishing licence procedures and tracking financial flows of development finance.
Guinea-Bissau has prohibited the production of fishmeal and fish oil. The objective is to safeguard national food security, preserve marine ecosystems, and protect coastal livelihoods, while supporting the sustainable regional management of shared fish stocks. The effectiveness of this decision will ultimately depend on robust enforcement and implementation.
The BBNJ Agreement reshapes the governance of fisheries without imposing direct regulations: high seas MPAs could displace fishing effort into African EEZs, potentially increasing competition to access for small-scale fisheries. At the same time, the treaty legitimizes negotiated and community-based spatial management tools.
A recent study in Nature Sustainability reviews 45 years of EU fishing access agreements with countries across Africa, the Pacific, and beyond. It shows how a small number of EU fleets have consistently captured the lion’s share of fishing opportunities and economic benefits, leading to lasting power asymmetries.
At the ports of Dakar and Bissau, the Turkish cargo ship Hanfeng 88 illustrates opaque trade practices. Behind its routine rotations lies the export of fishmeal from overexploited stocks, to the detriment of food security, marine ecosystems, and local small-scale fisheries.
Rising sea temperatures, extreme weather, and coastal erosion are reshaping the life and working conditions for Gambian coastal communities, who are finding ways to adapt but face ongoing challenges that require government and financial support.
Around 100 participants gathered for a webinar to discuss the implementation of the WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies and its implications for small-scale fisheries communities.
The Indian Ocean archipelago’s ageing population of small-scale fishers strives to bring generational renewal to fisheries by sensitizing school kids on the profession and training young women to re-skill in fish business.
At UNOC3 in Nice, representatives of small-scale fisheries from around the world called for their inclusion in ocean governance, highlighting their crucial role in global food security and sustainability.
Ten years on, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) has empowered African small-scale fishers by promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusive policymaking. It strengthens visibility, supports legal recognition, and fosters informed participation in marine resource governance.
Seminar participants recommended greater benefits for third countries under Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements and greater consistency between EU policies, including trade and development policies.
Recent studies show that, while these closures can momentarily lead to increased fish sizes and abundance, their socio-economic impact on fishing communities is dire.
A recent EU resolution on ocean diplomacy reflects a delicate balance between sustainability and strategic interests. It strongly recognises small-scale fisheries, but its credibility will depend on concrete implementation in EU external action and genuinely equitable partnerships.