ACP small-scale fishing: the most effective for the new millennium
Wall painting of CAPE, Alex’s beach, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2008.
© Debra Percival
Overall, small-scale – or traditional fishing – provides over 80 per cent of direct and indirect jobs in the sector. Small-scale fishing in the ACP countries is also vital to the traditional processing activities that ensure a supply of fish to local and regional markets. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, FAO statistics show that small-scale fishing accounts for up to 80 per cent of the fish landed for direct human consumption. In West Africa, small-scale fishing also plays an important role in the growth of fresh fish supplies to lucrative international markets, such as Europe, the United States and Asia.
In 2006, at a meeting of European shipowners where they looked at how they could contribute to the sustainable development of ACP countries, Mozambique’s fisheries minister spoke of the need for Europe to “better understand the problems facing countries when they seek to manage their fisheries in a sustainable manner”. He continued: “The principal struggle is the struggle against total poverty and the fishing sector has a major role to play in this struggle.” He ended by stressing that, “in this respect, our principal objective is the integrated development of small-scale fishing”.
The fact that small-scale fishing is an effective tool in combating poverty is confirmed by all the coastal ACP states. Far from the bleak image conveyed by some, small-scale fishing is a dynamic sector engendering innovation and, with the right focus and support, can be a main player in meeting the challenges of the new millennium.
One of the major challenges for ACP countries is to restore fragile ecosystems and fish stocks depleted by intensive and harmful fishing methods. Given fish shortages, ACP fishermen must now commit to qualitative rather than quantitative fishing, prioritising methods that respect both the marine environment and the product quality. A clear link between product quality and the catches of traditional fishing fleets has already been established. In Mauritania, for example, the superiority of small-scale fishing in terms of the quality and adding value to a product is a constant factor. In 2005, octopus caught using traditional Mauritanian fishing vessels sold for US$200 more per tonne than that caught by refrigerated trawlers. As for the noble seabed species, only the product of small-scale fishing provides the quality for export to Europe, reaching an average price of €4.5 per kg. The frozen fish – produced by the industrial fishing chain – sells at under €2 per kg.
Giving priority to investment in small and medium-sized businesses in the ACP small-scale fishing sector – as well as the service sectors and infrastructure (ports, access to processing sites and use of appropriate technologies) – enables this industry to maximise its full potential in both combating poverty and ensuring food safety. This should be at the heart of measures governing EU involvement in the ACP fishing sector.
* Coordinator, Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA)
The notion of ‘added value’
It is often wrong to speak of ‘added value’ in the fish processing business. In many cases, processing does not really add any value to the product at all. The opposite is often the case, in that fish quickly lose their value once they leave the water. So, to optimise the value of catches, the product must be kept alive and fresh for as long as possible.
Fishing, in search of sustainable model
Open warfare on “illegal, undeclared, unregulated” fishing
The controversial example of Mauritania
ACP small-scale fishing: the most effective for the new millennium
Local fishing in Senegal: quality and traceability challenges**
