The African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Professional Organizations (CAOPA) has called on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its members to support efforts for the establishment of National Action Plans for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, rooted in the International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines).
The call was made by Gaoussou Gueye, President of CAOPA, on 11 June, in the context of the World Oceans Day (8 June).
CAOPA brings together professional organizations from the maritime and continental small-scale fisheries of 24 African countries from West Africa, North Africa, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean Federation of Artisanal Fishers (FPAOI).
CAOPA welcomes the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, in which the General Assembly proclaims the year 2022 as the “International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture”.
With regard to the preparations for this World Oceans Day celebration, organizations such as CAOPA have an important role to play, in partnership with our States. In this context, CAOPA has two areas of work. In the first place, CAOPA facilitates consultation among professionals to set up a single small-scale fisheries organization at the national level. This national organization must be composed of the men and women who depend on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods.
Such organization must operate in an independent, democratic and transparent manner, and consider equal representation of women, as women are present at all stages of the small-scale fisheries value chain in Africa.
Secondly, CAOPA is committed to promoting the development — in a transparent, participatory and gender-sensitive manner — of National Action Plans for sustainable small-scale fisheries.
At the pan-African level, CAOPA is making this commitment within the framework of the African Union’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Policies Reform Strategy in Africa, via the Non-State Actors Platform.
At the country level, in collaboration with FAO, national workshops were held in 2018 in Guinea, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. In these three countries, the government is setting up a committee for the development of a National Action Plan for sustainable small-scale fisheries, which will enable professionals to identify their own needs. A platform bringing together the different Ministries involved — fisheries, environment, education, health, etc. — has been set up, so that the best answers to the needs expressed are provided.
CAOPA calls on FAO and its members to support these efforts for the establishment of National Action Plans for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, rooted in the International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines).