© FAO/SiaKambou

20-22 April 2016, Dakar– Senegal hosted the 21^stSession of the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF), organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The meeting expected the participation of about 100 people from more than 20 African countries, operating in the fisheries sector, as well as representatives of the African Union (the African Union’s Inter african Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR)), the European Union, Regional African Cooperation organizations (Sub-regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC), the Regional Fisheries Committee for the Gulf of Guinea (COREP), the Fishery Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), etc.). Producer Organizations (the African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Organizations (CAOPA)) as well as civil society (Greenpeace) were also represented.

The main purpose of this session was to examine the importance of capture fisheries and discuss new management approaches that could contribute to the restoration and improvement of the productivity and sustainability of the fisheries sector. Among other issues, participants will discuss actions to be taken to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as the development and implementation of planning programs for the management of vulnerable marine ecosystems.

“IUU fishing, the management of shared resources, subregional bilateral or multilateral cooperation in the fisheries sector and the coordination of various initiatives and actions undertaken by the actors are all challenges facing West African countries,” said the General Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Ms. Ndèye Tické Ndiaye Diop, at the opening.

“In Senegal, a maritime country, fishing occupies a prominent place, as evidenced in the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE) which is the framework for economic and social development policies. As such, it is listed among the sectoral growth drivers of the Development Axis 1 of the PSE, that is, Structural Transformation of the Economy and Growth. Therefore, it plays a central role in strengthening food security, wealth creation and employment,” she added.

Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a worldwide threat to the sustainability of the fisheries sector and the management and conservation of fisheries resources and marine biodiversity. Several legal tools are available, such as the FAO Agreement of the Port State Measures adopted in 2009 by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) or the Voluntary Guidelines for Flag State Performance adopted in 2014, to encourage countries to ensure that vessels flying their flag do not engage in IUU fishing.

The Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), which aims to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, contains obligations or measures taken by Port States which are to be observed or to be submitted to by foreign fishing vessels to be able to use ports in theseStates.

This session, therefore,offersthe organizersthe opportunity to increase advocacy for the ratification of these legal instruments, to accelerate their coming into force.

“An effective and functional regional cooperation is crucial for the fisheries sector. That is why FAO has several sectoral statutory committees and commissions that provide platforms for dialogue and exchange. Member countries can establish priorities and agree on joint action plans, make recommendations on major issues and problems of international fisheries and aquaculture”, said M. Ndiaga Gueye, Regional Fisheries Expert at the FAO Regional Office in Accra, Ghana, while opening the meeting.

“There is now a growing interest to improve fisheries management by strengthening governance and technical capacities, both at public sector and private sector levels. This is a cause for rejoicing! Modern management approaches such as the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) developed by FAO, have proven effective in restoring and enhancing fisheries”, he added.

Fisheries Management plans and sustainable fishing are part of the FAO’s Regional Initiative on Sustainable Production Intensification and Value Chain Development in Africa aimed at improving livelihoods for present and future generations.

A sustainable use of marine resources

The Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) was established in June 1967 under the FAO constitution. The Committee’s objective is to encourage the sustainable use of marine living resources in its geographic area through an adequate management and development of fisheries and fishing operations.

CECAF has 33 Member States and the European Union. Since its creation, CECAF has played an important role in the management and development of fisheries in the Eastern Central Atlantic and has become the main reference for scientific research and capacity building in areas of fisheries data collection, biological and demographic study of the most important species, and stock assessment.

 More information

- Global Alliance against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

- FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture web site

Contact:

Yacine Cisse, Senegal FAO Office

[email protected]