In February, the European Commission issued this warning to Cameroon to push the African country to strengthen its actions against IUU fishing.
A better 2021
Issues for local artisanal communities in a potential future EU-Guinea SFPA
How large is the Chinese Distant Water Fishing fleet?
The latest ODI report presents the scale of the Chinese flagged, owned and/or operated DWF fleet and highlights the gaps and challenges in China’s governance capacity, but the methodology and the figures need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Using specific examples, CFFA reviews the key findings and implications for the West Africa region.
EU-Liberia SFPA: what should a potential future protocol look like?
Government transparency for ocean governance: Why the human rights based approach should be prioritised, not fighting IUU fishing
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.
EU fight against IUU fishing: more transparency is needed
The International Fight Against IUU fishing: Moving from criminal to social justice?
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.
Review of the new Greenpeace report: 'Scam on the African Coast'
A report published today by Greenpeace exposes widespread fraud involving Chinese companies fishing in West Africa, both with vessels flying the Chinese flag and vessels operating under joint ventures. Based on information obtained by Greenpeace primarily in Senegal, Guinea Bissau and the Republic of Guinea (Conakry), the report shows that China’s biggest distant water fishing company, the China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC), as well as other Chinese companies, have systematically under-declared the gross tonnage (GT) of their fishing vessels for years.
Under-declaring the tonnage of vessels amounts to fishing illegally, according both to the legislation of the coastal and flag States involved and the FAO International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing. According to Greenpeace, this pervasive form of IUU fishing has been going on for almost 30 years and involves responsibilities at various levels, both in China and in the coastal countries involved.
Greenpeace calculated that, from 2000 to 2014, CNFC under-declared the GT of its vessels to the Senegalese authorities by 43% on average annually compared to their actual GT. In 2014 alone, CNFC has fraudulently hidden a total of 1742 GT through GT fraud.
This fraudulent practice by CNFC also occurs in Guinea Bissau and Guinea and involves other Chinese companies. For 59 CNFC vessels fishing in Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Guinea in 2014, evidence was found showing that the GT of 44 vessels was under-declared. In total, 6757.7 GT have been hidden from these coastal States, which represents approximately adding an equivalent of 22 extra industrial fishing vessels with a capacity of 300 GT each into their waters.
License fees are calculated on the basis of the GT, so companies that under-declare the GT of their vessels are depriving coastal States’ governments of revenue. For example, the fraud represented an estimated shortfall for Senegal of at least 371,404,800 CFA Francs (566,203 EURO) in license fees, that CNFC avoided paying during the period 2000 to 2014[1].
It also allowed industrial vessels to gain access to local artisanal fishermen’s zone, where they shouldn't be fishing, as is the case in Senegal.
Under-declaring GT also means that the actual fishing capacity deployed is much higher than authorized and undermines fisheries management and conservation efforts by coastal States, as illustrated by the CNFC/Guinea Bissau agreement. According to the terms and conditions provided by the fisheries agreement signed between CNFC and Guinea Bissau in 2010, it appears that, in the first half of 2014 alone, CNFC vessels actual fishing capacity exceeded the authorized capacity limit by 61%.
The degree to which GT was under-reported also raises the question of how much of the reported catches by CNFC and other companies during that period were illegal. Considering that fish caught by Chinese companies has been sold, among others, on European markets, this highlights loopholes in EU current efforts to stop trading of IUU-caught fish.
Greenpeace concludes by underlining that it is of the utmost urgency that governments, both coastal and flag States involved, investigate the alleged fraud by Chinese fishing companies as well as the potential fraud by other industrial fishing companies with vessels fishing in their EEZs, whether foreign-flagged and/or owned/operated. In addition, all States involved should conduct a comprehensive assessment and publish the lists of fishing vessels operating in their waters and/or under their flag.
The link to the report 'Scam on the African Coast': http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/Global/africa/graphics/Amigo/Scam%20on%20the%20African%20Coast%20FINAL%20PROOF(1).pdf
[1] These figures are doubtless under-estimated as it only includes data for 15 out of the 30 years of CNFC operations in Senegal alone, and only the part of the vessels for which GT could be estimated.
Delisting Korea from the EU 'IUU list': too much, too fast
On April 21st, the European Commission revised its list of countries that it considers fail to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The EC put Thailand on formal notice ('yellow card') for not taking sufficient measures in the international fight against illegal fishing (IUU). The EC also acknowledged that Korea and the Philippines 'carried appropriate reforms' of their legal system, which is now 'aligned with international law', enabling them to tackle IUU fishing. The EC therefore removed their yellow card.
CFFA feels that, in the case of Korea, this delisting may have come too soon. If indeed some reform of Korea’s legislation has been undertaken on paper to stop its distant water fleets from engaging in IUU operations, including Korean vessels fishing in West Africa , it is unclear whether and how much Korea intends to implement them.
From our information, it seems that several Korean trawlers fishing in West Africa have still recently been involved in illegal incursions in the artisanal fishing zone, including in a country like Guinea.
In 2013, Guinea was given a 'red card' by the EU, because it wasn't doing enough to fight IUU fishing; Guinea is, since then, banned from exporting fish products to the EU market. We are therefore now in a situation where a developing coastal State, Guinea, cannot export its fish on the EU market, whilst a distant water fishing nation, Korea, -which, in our view, has not yet given any concrete proof that it will indeed implement its new legislation and actually stop illegal fishing by its fleets in West Africa-, is able to export to the EU the fish they catch in Guinean and other West African waters. This is an unfair situation, which seems to reflect the fact that trade considerations, - Korea being a key trading partner for the EU, unlike Guinea-, have led the EU to take this somewhat premature step of letting Korea off the hook.
We want to reiterate that, in West African countries, the first victims of illegal operations in coastal waters by trawlers, whether foreign- or locally-flagged, are small scale fishing communities. The fact that the EU has removed Korea’s yellow card, in the absence of any tangible results that the country will indeed implement its reforms, may not only lead to further damage to African coastal communities, but also set a dangerous precedent.
What incentive will there be for other distant water fishing nations and coastal nations to effectively protect their coastal communities from foreign trawlers illegal operations, if the message given by the EU is that the only thing to do to freely trade fish is ‘paper reform’?
At a time where we witness an important number of trawlers being reflagged from industrialised countries, – EU, China, Korea among others-, to developing countries, what will be the incentive to avoid ‘reflagging of convenience’ to escape stringent rules, if the message given today by the EU is that the only thing that matters is that the fight against IUU fishing looks good on paper?
Preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing activities that threaten West African coastal communities’ livelihoods should require concrete action, not merely papering over the cracks.
Goodies and baddies: IUU fishing as state-corporate crime, not "organised crime"
The EU's IUU regulation - need for improved transparency
Presentations at Interpol’s meeting on IUU fishing confirm resistance to publishing information on licensing: Why?
CAOPA at SRFC/FAO/EC workshop on monitoring
Sidahmed Ould Abeid, Chairman of the CAOPA, has been invited to the Workshop of the validation and adoption of the Action Plan for national and sub-regional cooperation in the field of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), organized in Banjul by SRFC, FAO and the European Commission, 7-10 March.
He highlighted the importance of including participative surveillance in the programmes, and received the support of the Permanent Secretary of the SRFC. The latter asked States to ensure the participation of professional organizations into their monitoring programmes, given that they have a lot of important information in their possession, and to include them in their national delegations to similar meetings from now on.
Participative surveillance in West Africa
On the margins of the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, following up on a first meeting on the margins of the CAMFA in September 2010, CFFA met with its partners, the organisations of artisanal fisheries in Guinea and Senegal, to assess past or current participative surveillance projects in these two countries and make a series of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of participative surveillance in the fight against IUU fishing in West Africa.
These recommendations were presented to the European Commission during a meeting on IUU fishing between DG-MARE’s Fisheries Control Policy unit and NGOs active in this domain.
CFFA and its partners will closely follow further developments on regional surveillance, including in the SRFC waters, and will seek to involve fishermen in these processes.
Read the full document:
CFFA Workshop on IUU fishing at European Maritime Day in Gijon
On May 19th, CFFA organised a workshop entitled "Implementation of the IUU regulation in developing countries: Organising the dialogue with third countries stakeholders". Developing countries fisheries stakeholders, particularly the small scale fishing sector, are facing specific challenges for the implementation of the IUU regulation.
Although there is still little experience of the implementation (5 months), third countries fishing sector stakeholders (fishermen, exporters, competent authorities, NGOs) already have some examples to share about the concrete issues, - problems and opportunities-, arising from the implementation of the regulation, and suggestions to make about how to ensure the smooth implementation of the regulation, and how a sustained dialogue can be established between the EU and third countries stakeholders to ensure the objective is met: fight efficiently IUU fishing.
Presentations of the panel:
"Application de la législation européenne de lutte contre la pêche INN : cas de la pêche artisanale au Sénégal", by Gaoussou Gueye, exporter and vice-president of CONIPAS (Sénégal) and Makhtar Thiam, fisheries expert of West Africa Trade Hub (in French only).
"Application de la législation européenne de lutte contre la pêche INN : cas des exportations de produits de la pêche de Mauritanie", by Sid’ahmed Sidi Mohamed Abeid, president of the artisanal section of Fédération Nationale des Pêches de Mauritanie (in French only).
"Fisheries imports in EU", by Concepción Sánchez Trujillano, Deputy Director-General of Community Affairs, Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Areas (Spain)
"Contrôle et Traçabilité: Défis et solutions", by Hélène Bours, CFFA (in French only).
"Implementation of the EU regulation on IUU fishing: Organising the dialogue with developing countries stakeholders", workshop report.
EU proposed regulation to combat IUU fishing: Issues for Developing countries
CFFA generally welcomes the comprehensive package of measures proposed by the European Commission to combat IUU fishing. The proposal foresees actions to be taken by or against flag States, port States and market States as well as actors in the fishing sector all along the chain of custody and will go a long way toward curtailing IUU fishing, both within and outside EU waters, both by EU-flagged and/or owned fleets as well as foreign fleets.
However, although the proposal acknowledges the need to help developing countries to fight IUU fishing, it fails to propose concrete measures to that effect. Without such concrete support, the measures proposed, such as the trade related measures, will constitute new trade barriers for legally-caught fish from developing countries, especially those fish products from the artisanal fishing sector.
Court of Auditors report: EU Common Fisheries Policy falls short on IUU
On December 4th 2007, the European Court of Auditors published a Special Report, exposing the failure by Member States to effectively control fishing activities by their fleets and demonstrates the urgent need to seriously strengthen EU control and inspection systems. Despite claims that existing rules are sufficient to prevent or seriously limit Illegal, Unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing by EU fleets, the Court of Auditor‟s report states that “despite recent improvements, the control, inspection and sanction mechanisms in place are not capable of ensuring that the rules on managing the fisheries resources, … are effectively applied.” adding that “If the political authorities want the CFP to achieve its objective of sustainable exploitation of the fisheries resources, the present control, inspection and sanction mechanisms must be strengthened considerably.”
In that context, Development NGOs reiterate their support to the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In addition, the Commission tabled a proposal on the management of „Authorisations for fishing activities of Community fishing vessels outside Community waters and the access of third country vessels to Community waters” which, we feel, contains effective control measures and sanctions complementing those in the proposal on IUU fishing. In particular, we welcome the fact that the Commission recognises that the Community has a responsibility, as flag state, in the correct application of the fisheries agreements with third countries. Therefore, we fully support the proposal that fishing authorisations for vessels that have not complied with their obligations during the preceding year, or that have been blacklisted as “IUU vessel”, should be refused.
More information:
Court of Auditors report: EU Common Fisheries Policy falls short on IUU
Proposal by the European Commission for measures to combat IUU fishing: CFFA preliminary comments
CFFA welcomes the comprehensive package of measures proposed by the European Commission to combat IUU fishing. The proposal foresees actions to be taken by or against flag States, port States and market States as well as actors in the fishing sector all along the chain of custody and will go a long way toward curtailing IUU fishing, both within and outside EU waters, both by EU-flagged and/or owned fleets as well as foreign fleets. However, although the proposal acknowledges the need to help developing countries to fight IUU fishing, it fails to propose concrete measures to that effect. Without such concrete support, the measures proposed, such as the trade related measures, will constitute new trade barriers for legally-caught fish from developing countries, especially those fish products from the artisanal fishing sector.
More information:
The fight against IUU fishing in West Africa: Good governance and regional cooperation are top priorities
Tensions between Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry around the arrest two weeks ago by the Sierra Leone navy of eight Guinean nationals, including military, police and fisheries inspectors, are still running high.
Sierra Leone says the Guinean nationals carried out a pirate attack on two Chinese fishing vessels licensed to fish in their waters. The Guinean boat was arrested well inside Sierra Leone waters, and the men on board were found with AK-47 automatic rifles and bags of high value fish taken off the two locally-licensed Chinese fishing vessels, the Lian Run 23 and the Lian Run 24. According to Guinean authorities, the men were on a legitimate fisheries protection patrol, although they couldn’t explain what the Guineans were doing within Sierra Leone’s waters.
"That incident shows there is an urgent need for increased cooperation between West African States", said Hélène Bours, expert on illegal fishing for the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA). "If, as would appear from reports received, the Sierra Leone story is correct, this would be a good example of gamekeeper turned poacher. It strongly supports arguments for addressing governance issues and corruption as a matter of priority, rather than simply providing fast boats and other control assets and simply expecting them to be used effectively by the relevant authorities." declared Tim Bostock, Fisheries Support Programme Coordinator for the UK Department for International Development.
- The fight against IUU fishing in West Africa: Good governance and regional cooperation are top priorities