EAF-Nansen Programme

CECAF-PESCAO Project conducts a series of case studies to ensure effective fisheries science and management in the Eastern Central Atlantic region

17/07/2020

Ghana, Benin, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo are among six CECAF member states to have run a stakeholder consultative workshop, aimed at analysing the challenges of an effective implementation of  CECAF scientific advice into fisheries management at the national level. The workshops are part of a series of case studies conducted by the CECAF-PESCAO Project “Improved Regional Governance of Marine Resources in Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) area.” Ghana and Liberia are assisted by the EAF-Nansen Programme, while Nigeria, Benin and Togo are directly supported by the CECAF-PESCAO Project.  Thanks to this collaboration, it will be possible to achieve a comprehensive view of the challenges in applying CECAF scientific advice in fisheries management across the West Central Gulf of Guinea region. Côte d’Ivoire is also expected to contribute to the regional assessment.

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Participants of first consultative workshop held on 14 July 2020 in Ghana @Samuel Quaatey

Ghana has been first country to initiate this activity, through the first workshop organized in Accra on 14 July 2020, with the overall objective to review the management systems and plans, and to discuss challenges and opportunities for integrating CECAF scientific advice into the national management processes. The workshop also aimed to gather national expert opinion on establishing a national strategy and a monitoring system to enhance the uptake of the CECAF scientific advice.  During the first meeting, participants identified several challenges, both in relation to contributions to the development of the advice and to the implementation of the CECAF scientific advice in national fisheries management. The challenges included poor and limited quality of data and information collected by the Fisheries Scientific Survey Division of the Fisheries Commission in Ghana for use in assessment by CECAF or inadequate capacity building for Fisheries Commission staff on data collection and analysis. Other challenges related to the nature and formulation of recommendations and the structure of the CECAF advice. CECAF is an Advisory Regional Fisheries Body, which means that implementation of their advice is non-binding for the CECAF member countries.

The event, including plenary presentations, working groups and discussions, brought together 11 participants from government, research institutes, academia, fisheries professional associations, and development partners involved in Ghana’s fisheries policy and governance. The country is now preparing itself to hold the second national stakeholder consultative workshop, scheduled for late October.

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Plenary presentations, working groups and discussions held during first national consultative workshop in Ghana @Samuel Quaatey

The overall aim of the CECAF-PESCAO Project, under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is to improve regional governance of marine resources in the southern area of CECAF and to strengthen CECAF’s capacity as a knowledge-sharing advisory body for the marine resources and fisheries in Western Africa. It also contributes to enhance synergies with processes at sub-regional levels, with partners like the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), and with regional organizations such as ECOWAS.

CECAF, through its Scientific Sub-Committee and associated working groups on demersal, pelagic and artisanal fisheries, generate scientific advice and specific recommendations for research and management of selected transboundary demersal and small pelagic fish, as well as small-scale fisheries in the CECAF Region. CECAF scientific advice and management recommendations are then adopted by its member countries at the biannual CECAF Committee meetings. The countries are expected to take appropriate action at the national level to incorporate the scientific advice in their respective management plans. However, some challenges have been observed in this regard. Despite scientific advice being provided regularly by CECAF, the current situation proves that the advice is not always applied in national fisheries management processes.

The CECAF-PESCAO project is in direct support to CECAF and its member countries. The project assists the countries in applying the management advice and in promoting collaboration and information sharing with other organizations in the region. This will in turn contribute to sustainable fisheries, food security and the well-being of the coastal communities. Once implemented, it is expected that the project achieves the following outcomes:

  1. Effective integration of CECAF management advice into national frameworks
  2. Improved science – management process in ECOWAS and other African CECAF member states
  3. Enhanced regional policy dialogue among the relevant stakeholders for a participatory monitoring on the implementation of the management recommendations by CECAF in the region

Output 1.1. specifically focuses on identifying challenges of integrating CECAF management advice into the management processes of selected CECAF member states, and next proposing mitigation measures through case studies in some of its countries. Based on these case studies, a strategy explaining how to improve uptake of scientific advice will be developed, together with a system/tool used for monitoring the uptake of the CECAF advice in the future.

Some of the countries are currently preparing themselves to hold the second national stakeholder consultative workshop, expected to take place by the end of 2020.

Related article:
CECAF Working Group (sub-group North) met in Mauritania to assess the current state of the region’s demersal species