In Vigo, European and African stakeholders discuss the external dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy

On 13 and 14 May 2025, the EU Long Distance Advisory Council (LDAC) organized a seminar in Vigo (Spain) to discuss the future of the Common Fisheries Policy external dimension, in the context of its ongoing evaluation.

The LDAC is an advisory body composed of representatives of EU Distant water fleets, importers, trade union, environmental and development NGOs. Participants to the seminar, including representatives of regional fisheries bodies (ICCAT, ATLAFCO), the EU Directorate-General on Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and the European Fishing Control Agency (EFCA), had the opportunity to discuss a broad range of topics, from the role of the EU in international ocean governance, EU bilateral fishing arrangements, the fight against IUU, trade of seafood and food security issues, including in third countries.

A new generation of sustainable fisheries partnership agreements?

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission tasked the new Ocean and fisheries Commissioner to work on a ‘new generation’ of sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs). DG MARE sees SFPAs as strategic in the toolbox for the ‘new Ocean diplomacy’: “We need a strategic approach to the EU fisheries external dimension, so it is part of the broader EU agenda. We'll continue reaffirming our principles: multilateral cooperation & the rule of law,” explained in the opening statements Mr. Cesari, head of the IUU unit at DG MARE. 

One of the key criticisms civil society organisations have raised is the little tangible benefits from SFPAs that can be seen in the African partner countries. During the session dedicated to SFPAs, Mr. El Ktiri, secretary general of the Ministerial Conference on fisheries cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO), called for “a balanced and shared vision between the EU and the third country,” arguing that the content of SFPAs should be “geared towards capacity building, people, social action and solidarity.” Ms. Gorez, coordinator of CFFA, called for more coherence: “EU development policies and fisheries partnerships need to align their objectives so that the offer to third countries brings tangible and visible benefits for local populations.”

Benoît Caillard, consultant F&S Maritime affairs, the consultancy which developed the SFPA report evaluation, agreed with CFFA that among the possible evolutions for SFPAs, an avenue could be a total separation of sectoral support from access, and a transition to a budgetary support regime, as may be the case for DG International Partnership projects.

A lack of coherence in policies

The question of coherence was also raised during the session on how the EU can reinforce food security, local livelihoods and sustainable practices in the fishing value chain. Mr. Mari, from the German NGO Bread for the World, stated that “EU food and trade policies are not coherent with development goals.” And he gave a couple of examples, mostly in agriculture, where deals signed by the EU with African countries had severe impacts on their local economies.

Mr. Gueye, president of AFRIFISH-NET, the Pan-African platform of non-state actors in fisheries, an official consultative body of the African Union, quoted the example of salmon consumption in Europe: “Salmon is fed large quantities of fishmeal from West Africa! It’s not possible that a European consumer indirectly eats in half an hour our yearly recommended intake.” Indeed, whereas EU fishing fleets do not access sardinella – the species used in fishmeal – there is no way to prevent import of fishmeal and fish oil into EU markets. There are also tons of Norwegian salmon fed with West African fishmeal imported in the EU. The production of fishmeal and fish oil in West Africa is having nefarious consequences both on food security and coastal communities’ livelihoods, especially women fish processors.

A thread summarising the interventions by the panelists in each session can be found on X and on Bluesky.

Banner photo: A view of the Vigo harbour from the seminar room “El Tinglado”, by Joëlle Philippe.

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