Small pelagic stocks are shared across West African waters, yet their management remains largely national. In this article, the author argues that stronger regional management is not simply a matter of better policy or voluntary cooperation: it also flows from existing obligations under international law. These obligations require coastal states not only to conserve shared stocks, but to cooperate on issues such as fishing capacity and allocation of access, implement agreed measures and hold one another accountable where national decisions undermine a shared resource. Drawing on recent examples from West Africa, the article shows why effective regional governance is essential if national conservation efforts are to succeed.