© FAO

DAKAR – As part of FAO’s ongoing efforts to build a more collaborative and sustainable small-scale fisheries sector, the FAO FisheryCommittee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) held its 7^th Artisanal Fisheries Working Group (AFWG) meeting in Dakar, Senegal in June with the aim of strengthening collaboration and governance of small-scale, or artisanal, fisheries.

"We are thrilled to host this event to drive forward discussions in building a knowledge-based future for artisanal fisheries in the CECAF region," said Sidiya Diouf, Chair of the CECAF AFWG and Senegal’s Artisanal Fisheries Focal Point. "Our ultimate goal is to empower the often overlooked small-scale fisheries and their communities who are key contributor to our regional economies, and a pillar of our coastal communities.”

Supported by the European Union, the 7^th AFWG hosted  24 participants, including 16 CECAF Member Nations representatives. Other participants included representatives from the EAF-Nansen Programme, the Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI), the Fisheries Management and Resilience Small Pelagics in West Africa (GREPPAO) project and FAO staff.   

Main Outcomes of the 7^th AFWG

While closing the 7^th AFWG, Ndiaga Gueye, Secretary of CECAF and FAO Senior Fisheries Officer, urged representatives to improve regional partnerships to better share experiences, challenges, and innovative ideas for the improvement of artisanal fisheries knowledge.

The 7^th AFWG meeting resulted in the following recommendations:

1. Using an FAO characterization matrix, a practical characterization of marine small-scale fisheries in the CECAF region will be pursued across CECAF coastal member countries;
2. With a refined list of priority indicators, the working group will, with support from the FAO CECAF Secretariat, trial and submit preliminary artisanal fisheries data heading into the next AFWG;
3. Pursue the three policy and three research priorities set by the AFWG to address the fish-based feed industry developments in the CECAF region;
4. Implement the revised AFWG workplan.

The outcomes and recommendations of the 7^th AFWG for small-scale fisheries in the region will be presented to the CECAF 23^rd Committee 11-14 July 2023 in Monrovia, Liberia. The CECAF Committee meets bi-annually to endorse recommendations of the various CECAF Working Groups and the Scientific Sub-Committee.

The Committee of Fisheries for the Central and Eastern Atlantic

CECAF is composed of Member Nations and Associate Members of FAO in Africa whose territory borders the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Spartel to the mouth of the Congo River, and other Member Nations and Associate Members fishing or carrying out research in the sea area concerned or having some other interest in fisheries.