The African Confederation of Professional Organizations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) is still engaged in the mobilization to fight, even eradicate, the Covid-19 disease, which continues to wreak havoc in and Africa and the rest of the world, is in the process of bringing the world economy to its knees, thus affecting the fishing sector, especially that of the artisanal fishing sub-sector.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit African coasts, CAOPA and its members have been mobilizing. In early April, in a letter addressed to the African Union (AU) and to the African governments of the 25 countries where this umbrella organization has members, its officials called on decision-makers to take urgent measures in consultation with the sector so that fishermen, fishmongers and women processors can continue their activities.
Indeed, the fisheries sector is essential for the food security of the population, and provides, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), more than 10 million ‘jobs’ to the men and women of African coastal communities, reports CAOPA, which states, as an example, ”a canoe fishing for small pelagics in Senegal can employ a hundred people from the stage of catch to the consumer’s plate”.
“The measures taken to fight the pandemic are proving more and more difficult for the men and women who work in African artisanal fisheries”, for the most part, noted the members of CAOPA, last Thursday, in a virtual meeting on Zoom with the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation between African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO).
“The restrictions imposed in most African countries on gatherings, the movement of
people and goods as well as the closure of traditional markets for artisanal fishery products, make access to fish difficult for the poorest”, it was reported.
Due to the lack of adequate facilities and equipment, maintaining hygiene and sanitary measures to fight the epidemic is also complicated on board boats, at landing sites, processing sites and other markets intended for the marketing of fishery products.
In addition, the virtual discussions highlighted that women in African artisanal fisheries are “particularly affected”, because they earn their living from day to day.
How can they put food on the table for their dependents when their processing activity is curbed? Or when strict confinement at home hinders their access to raw materials?. asked the actors of artisanal fishing, members of the various structures that make up CAOPA.
The professional organizations of artisanal fishing have taken measures to raise awareness of the necessary hygiene and separation measures that fishworkers must respect. In some cases, they have provided preventive health kits to all those active in the artisanal fisheries value chain.
Professional organizations are, therefore, calling on decision-makers to find means that will allow artisanal fishing to pursue its essential activities.
However, it was noted that dilapidated facilities and tools throughout the value chain, and the lack of sanitation facilities and prevention kits in many artisanal fishing communities remain a challenge.
For CAOPA, the Covid-19 crisis should be an opportunity to respond to the challenges that have existed for a long time in artisanal fisheries and to improve, in the long term, the hygiene and working conditions of men and women in the fishing industry.
It was pointed out that there are international instruments to improve working conditions in the African artisanal fishing industry, like the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) and other guides for social sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture value chains.
The Work in Fishing Convention (No. 188), adopted in 2007 by representatives of governments, workers and employers at the level of the International Labor Organization (ILO), aims to ensure that fishermen benefit from decent conditions for working on board fishing vessels with regard to minimum requirements for work on board, conditions of service, accommodation and food, protection of safety and occupational health, and medical care and social security.
Compared to other ILO instruments dealing with fisheries, this is the first time that a Convention covers both inland and maritime artisanal fishing. The Convention No. 188 includes, in its scope, large and small boats, decked or not, and fishermen on board, it was explained during the virtual discussion.
According to CAOPA and its partners, countries that ratify the ILO Convention will have to develop laws, regulations or other texts covering a series of points that are essential to promote safe and decent working conditions in artisanal fishing, including, “Establishment of a minimum age”, Organization of medical examination, Preparation of the crew list, “Conditions for repatriation of fishermen, Recruitment and accommodation conditions”, “Sanitary conditions on board”, “Supply of food and drinking water on board ”, and ”Training of crew members to give first aid on board ”, among other measures.
The Convention provides for gradual implementation in order to give certain countries the possibility to take more time to apply certain provisions for certain types of vessels. This provision will be useful for artisanal fishing where many activities are still informal.
“This progressive implementation approach should facilitate the ratification of this text by African countries because it takes into account their difficulties in fulfilling all the obligations of the Convention due to the inadequacies of their infrastructures and their institutions”, according to the panelists of the virtual meeting.
For the public authorities to be ”truly capable” of enforcing laws and regulations, it will be ”necessary” to proceed to a ” major reorientation ” or a ” rationalization ” of the administrations in charge of fishing, maritime affairs, boat safety, and work. Such a development is proving to be “essential” to help African countries adopt relevant legislative measures.
Four African countries have ratified the ILO Convention No. 188: Congo (2014), Angola (2016), Namibia (2018), and Senegal (2018). However, it was clarified that the entire value chain of artisanal fishing is not covered by the Convention, in particular the role of women in the sector, who are active in activities on land not covered by the Convention, like the processing and marketing
sector.
However, today, in most African countries, the working conditions of these women are not decent: the processors work all day in the smoke, sometimes in the middle of refuse, without access to sanitary facilities, drinking water or electricity. Often, their young children accompany them and live in these same inhuman conditions, said members of CAOPA who pointed out that the improvement of working conditions is one of the main concerns of women in African artisanal fishing.
This concern has been taken into account by the SSF Guidelines, particularly in the following chapters:
Social development, employment and decent work
In this chapter, the SSF Guidelines contain guidance on the socioeconomic situation of workers in the fishing sector industry and their communities. States must promote the protection of workers in the artisanal fishing sector. States should support the establishment of services and access to services such as savings, credit and insurance systems, paying particular attention to guaranteeing women’s access to these services.
States must take measures to gradually realize the right to work under conditions in accordance with international and national human-rights standards, says CAOPA.
All parties strive to “ensure” that the issue of occupational health and safety is taken into account as an integral part of fisheries management and sector development initiatives.
”States must do what is necessary so that, gradually, the members of artisanal fishing communities have affordable access to essential public services, in particular, essential safe and hygienic sanitation services, drinking water for personal and domestic uses, energy sources, etc., according to CAOPA member organizations.
According to them, all parties should create conditions conducive to enabling men and women in artisanal fishing communities to fish and carry out fishing-related activities in a framework that bans all forms of delinquency, violence, organized crime, piracy, theft, sexual abuse, corruption and abuse of power. It is important that all parties work to take action to eradicate violence and protect women exposed to it in artisanal fishing communities.
The actors of the artisanal fishing sector should also recognize the importance of the well-being and education of children not only for the future of the children themselves, but also of society as a whole. Children must go to school and be protected from all forms of abuse. All their rights must be respected, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, insists CAOPA, citing an extract from chapter 6 of the said directives.
Value chains, post-harvest activities and trade
The SSF Guidelines recognize that post-harvest activities as well as other value-chain activities are essential elements of sustainable artisanal fisheries, but it is important that all parties promote improvements that make it easier for women to participate in post-harvest activities.
They also believe that states must ensure that facilities and services adapted to women are available, so that they can continue to earn a living and improve their livelihoods in this sub-sector.
”States must encourage, ensure and facilitate investments in appropriate infrastructure and organizational structures, as well as in capacity building, to enable the sub-sector, after capture of
artisanal fisheries, to produce, in a responsible and sustainable manner, fish and other fishery products that are safe and of good quality, both for export and for domestic markets, ” they said.
States are thus called upon to assist in the creation of cooperatives, professional organizations in the artisanal fishing sector and other organizational structures, as well as marketing mechanisms, for
example, auctions, the use of digital technologies, etc.
It is also necessary that all parties avoid post-capture losses and waste, and seek ways to create added value, in particular, by relying on traditional and local technologies that are both efficient and
inexpensive, on local innovations and on transfer of resources, and on technology adapted to the cultural context.
It is further necessary to ”promote environmentally viable practices” from an ”ecosystem perspective” and to avoid, for example, the waste of means of production (water, fuelwood, etc.) during the handling and artisanal processing of fish.
States need to facilitate access to local, national, regional and international markets and encourage fair and non-discriminatory trade in artisanal fishery products, according to CAOAPA and its
partners, who urged States to facilitate access for stakeholders in the artisanal fisheries value chain to all relevant information on markets and trade.
CAOPA participated, with its partners, in the FAO consultation in 2019 on the development of a guide for social sustainability in fisheries value chains, by suggesting the creation of a specific guidance document for artisanal fisheries with references to social aspects and minimum requirements drawn from the SSF Guidelines and the ILO Convention C188 on Work in the Fishing Sector.