Artisanal fisheries, Governance, Transparency, Sectoral support, Access arrangements
Anaïd Panossian
What future for Sustainable Fisheries ...

In view of the global evaluation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) that will be carried out by the Commission in 2021, the author highlights the key points which will need to be assessed from the perspective of the impacts on African coastal communities. The author also suggests essential improvements to be made for the future of SFPAs so that they better respond to the needs of these communities.

What future for Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements?
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Beyond cooperation: West African states legal obligations to jointly manage small pelagics

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Beyond cooperation: West African states legal obligations to jointly manage small pelagics

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.

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EU–Mauritania fisheries disagreement: what conditions to break the deadlock?

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EU–Mauritania fisheries disagreement: what conditions to break the deadlock?

This article examines the deadlock in negotiations between Mauritania and the EU over a new fisheries agreement, focused on European fleet access and the EU’s financial contribution. As the Commission prepares its Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture, it argues that negotiations should also address sustainable fisheries management and benefits for Mauritania’s small-scale fishing communities.

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Future EU fisheries agreements: Will they put more fish on African tables?

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Future EU fisheries agreements: Will they put more fish on African tables?

Fish is becoming increasingly scarce on African tables, even though African waters continue to supply international markets. As the EU is about to reveal its future strategy for external fisheries action, the next generation of SFPAs offers an opportunity to address this challenge. Their contribution to food security should ultimately be judged by a simple test: do they help more sustainably caught fish reach local consumers in good condition and at an affordable price?

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EU fisheries funding: ‘Doing no significant harm’ is not enough

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EU fisheries funding: ‘Doing no significant harm’ is not enough

The Commission is preparing a set of guidelines for an harmonised approach to ensure EU funded activities do not undermine EU environmental objectives. For fisheries, this should not result in weaker environmental safeguards. The EU should also be supporting those fishers that have maintained low-impact and selective practices for years.

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COFI 37 Joint Statement: “FAO and its members must address the destructive impacts of industrial feedlot aquaculture”

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COFI 37 Joint Statement: “FAO and its members must address the destructive impacts of industrial feedlot aquaculture”

21 Civil Society and Small-scale fishing organisations (CSOs and SSF) sign a joint statement at the 37th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, a global body that provides recommendations and policy advice on fisheries and aquaculture to governments, regional fisheries bodies and the international community in general.

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Hiding behind a firewall: How NDAs undermine free, prior and informed consent in debt-for-nature swaps

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Hiding behind a firewall: How NDAs undermine free, prior and informed consent in debt-for-nature swaps

Presented as a means of protecting sensitive information, the use of confidentiality agreements in debt-swap transactions effectively deprives civil society in the countries concerned of its free, prior and informed consent by obstructing debate and participation on the terms of the deal, including the public policies the governments commit to in exchange for the debt-swap.

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Can the EU modernise its fishing fleet without increasing fishing pressure? What is at stake for distant water fishing in Africa?

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Can the EU modernise its fishing fleet without increasing fishing pressure? What is at stake for distant water fishing in Africa?

The Commission study on the future of the EU fishing fleet highlights the challenge of balancing ecological sustainability, decarbonisation, and economic viability. The article explores whether fleet modernisation should automatically be considered an increase in fishing capacity, and discusses the implications of this debate for fisheries management both within the EU and in African waters where EU distant-water fleets operate.

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The EU is debating its Fisheries Policy – Africa should pay attention

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The EU is debating its Fisheries Policy – Africa should pay attention

While sector stakeholders favour targeted reforms of the CFP and the simplification of existing rules, NGOs call for the strict enforcement of the current framework. What are the potential implications of these debates for African waters?

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Beneficial ownership transparency in OACPS fisheries: strong commitments, but slow implementation

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Beneficial ownership transparency in OACPS fisheries: strong commitments, but slow implementation

A new assessment finds limited implementation of beneficial ownership transparency commitments across OACPS countries, with weak legal frameworks. However, there are clear opportunities to accelerate progress and strengthen accountability, equity, and sustainability in fisheries governance.

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What could the EU learn from China’s approach to distant-water fisheries?

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What could the EU learn from China’s approach to distant-water fisheries?

EU fisheries governance should shift from a vessel-based to an enterprise-based model, drawing on the Chinese distant-water fishing model while noting its limits. EU progress in transparency and beneficial ownership control is highlighted, alongside calls for conditional subsidies, expanded compliance, and broader corporate responsibility globally.

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To subsidise or not to subsidise, that is not the question

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To subsidise or not to subsidise, that is not the question

At the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, ministers reaffirmed commitment to continue negotiations on harmful fisheries subsidies. While the 2025 Fish 1 agreement marked progress, major concerns persist over industrial fleets, overcapacity, and impacts on African artisanal fishers.

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SFPA monies must reach the shore: What Mauritian artisanal fishers expect from the future fisheries agreement with the EU

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SFPA monies must reach the shore: What Mauritian artisanal fishers expect from the future fisheries agreement with the EU

Although the EU-Mauritius SFPA generates measurable macroeconomic gains, these benefits remain largely invisible to small-scale fishers. The authors highlight weak transparency, limited coastal development impact, governance issues, and inequitable access to resources, calling for a more inclusive, community-centred fisheries partnership model.

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Aligning ocean governance and fisheries policy: what the EU Ocean Act must deliver

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Aligning ocean governance and fisheries policy: what the EU Ocean Act must deliver

The European Union is drafting an Ocean Act aimed at improving the coherence of its maritime policies. This initiative could better integrate small-scale fisheries, protect marine ecosystems and support coastal communities, both in Europe and in partner countries.

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EU-Mauritania SFPA: a tool to achieve sustainability?

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EU-Mauritania SFPA: a tool to achieve sustainability?

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the EU and Mauritania is an opportunity to implement the “new generation” of agreements announced by the Commission, which should focus on the equitable sharing of benefits, local development, and the well-being of coastal communities that depend on fishing.