West Africa: PESCAO should be more effective and attentive to artisanal fisheries

The PESCAO programme for the improvement of fisheries governance in West Africa, financed by the EU from the 11th EDF Regional funds, started in June 2017 and will end in June 2024.

After nearly 4 years, an evaluation is underway to assess the results obtained and to see how to improve its implementation, in a context where the countries of the ECOWAS region are focusing on the development of a blue economy strategy.

THE PESCAO PROGRAMME

The budget of PESCAO is over 17 million Euros, benefiting ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania. The main expected results of the programme are:

- The development of a West African regional policy for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, including improved coordination of stakeholders at the regional level;

- Improving monitoring, control and surveillance capacity to assist in the fight against IUU fishing; and

- Improving the regional framework for the management of shared resources, in particular small pelagics.

On this occasion, CFFA and the African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Professional Organisations (CAOPA) reaffirmed, in a letter to the European Commission, their support for such a regional project supporting the development of sustainable fisheries in West Africa, and shared their recommendations for a more effective implementation.

Stakeholder coordination: strengthening national organisations remains a challenge

The PESCAO programme has provided significant support to the establishment of the Platform of Non-State Fisheries Actors in West Africa (PANEPAO). For CAOPA, which chairs PANEPAO, PESCAO's support has been useful in establishing a permanent consultation mechanism for non-state actors, officially recognised by the authorities. However, the non-state actor platforms, including PANEPAO, have not achieved their objectives in terms of strengthening local organisations. It is not the role of governments to directly fund professional organisations if these organisations are to remain independent.

What could be improved is the capacity building of the platforms to be able to better dialogue with the states at national level, and to intervene in international processes where West Africa is involved, for example the Europe-Africa partnership. To date, the non-state actor platforms, including PANEPAO, have not received any information from PESCAO or the authorities on the issues at stake in this partnership for fisheries (such as the setting up of a Blue Economy Task Force).

Strengthening the active participation of non-state actors at the national level also means ensuring that they are well informed. The PESCAO programme could place greater emphasis on transparency, both in fisheries management and in blue economy activities.

Transparency in the management of fisheries and any other use of the oceans (other blue economy activities) is essential for active and informed participation of stakeholders, including women. Photo: The market in Bissau, by Carmen Abd Ali.

On this last point, CFFA and CAOPA insisted that the PESCAO programme, when strengthening the coordination of stakeholders for a structured dialogue with the States, should contribute to the establishment of transparent mechanisms for consultation and conflict resolution between all users of the West African maritime spaces - the sectors of the blue economy - which allow for an informed and active participation of the affected fishing communities.

Monitoring, Control and Surveillance: collaborations to be further pursued

On this point, cooperation with EFCA, whether for joint inspection operations, in port or at sea, or for training of inspectors organised either in Vigo or in the States of the region, is much appreciated by all. This collaboration with EFCA should be supported and strengthened through the PESCAO programme.

To improve MCS, a well-functioning regional VMS system is important. PESCAO has tried to do this, by providing technical assistance for the acquisition of equipment and by coordinating national VMS systems. This has not always proved effective, as national systems often run into difficulties, like in Ghana, where the system was interrupted when the supplier's payment was not made.

It would be more appropriate to set up a centralised regional VMS platform that countries could access.

The PESCAO programme could also support participatory monitoring initiatives, whereby artisanal fishermen collaborate with the MCS: fishermen are provided with equipment, such as GPS and radios, to communicate directly with the National Monitoring Centre, which can then stop vessels engaged in IUU fishing more quickly.

There is a need to establish a clear legal framework for participatory monitoring initiatives, where fishermen collaborate in monitoring, control and surveillance by alerting the authorities of vessels suspected of being engaged in IUU fishing. Photo: Kafountine beach, Senegal, by Mediaprod.

However, it is necessary to establish a specific legal framework for participatory monitoring, clearly defining the responsibilities of fishermen and the support to be given to their participatory monitoring actions. It is also necessary to ensure that there are sufficient resources (human, financial, human, financial, technical) budgeted to act effectively on the basis of information provided by fishermen. Without replacing the regalian prerogatives of the coastal State, this system makes it possible to fight IUU fishing effectively, and the PESCAO programme could help States both in the development of an appropriate legal framework and in direct support for these operations.

Zero score for the Management and Resilience of Small Pelagic Fisheries in West Africa project

CAOPA and CFFA note that the GREPPAO project has not provided any added value. Very little new research has been produced and no link has been made between this research and the need for scientific advice for the sustainable management of small pelagics in the region.

It would be much more interesting to focus PESCAO's efforts on contributing directly to the implementation of regional or sub-regional management mechanisms for small pelagics, in particular by strengthening the means and capacities of the CECAF artisanal fisheries working group. It is important that the future contribution of the PESCAO on these issues is part of a dynamic of cooperation with existing initiatives (strengthening research on small pelagics in the EU-Mauritania Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), etc).

Conclusion

It should be recalled that in Africa, with more than 10 million people employed, artisanal fisheries is the largest of the African blue economy sectors, providing food security and nutrition to more than 200 million Africans. A recent AfDB report highlights that with Africa's population expected to reach 1.7 billion by 2030, feeding this population at current levels of consumption per capita of fisheries products will require 13 million tonnes of marine fish in 2030, 6 million tonnes more than currently fished.

This is also true in West African countries, where artisanal fisheries play a crucial role in feeding local populations. Therefore, within the framework of PESCAO, greater emphasis should be placed on improving the contribution of fisheries to food security:

• By strengthening the value chains, in particular the living and working conditions of women in artisanal fisheries. The gender dimension of the project should indeed be considerably accentuated;

• By supporting the development of responsible small-scale aquaculture, which does not encourage intensive fishing of small pelagics for fishmeal and fish oil factories (some of which are European);

• On the model of the IUU NAP, supporting the development of regional, sub-regional and national action plans for the implementation of the Sustainable SSF Guidelines, as well as specific support for strengthening legal frameworks for this purpose.

Banner photo: Fishermen on the beach of Kafountine (Senegal), by Mediaprod.

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