The Continental Coordinator of Non-State Actors in Fisheries and Aquaculture (AFRIFISH-Net), Mr. Gaoussou GUEYE, shone in Brussels, Belgium, from October 15 to 20, taking an active part in the crucial meetings organized by the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Agreements (CFFA).
In the heart of the European capital, he engaged in fruitful discussions with members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee.
Mr. GUEYE played a central role in working groups on future sustainable fishing alliances between the EU and African nations at the Long Distance Fishing Advisory Council (LDAC). He delivered a speech at the LDAC meeting, which we’d like to share with you in full.
Dear friends and colleagues of the LDAC,
As President of Afrifish, I would like to thank you for your invitation to participate in the LDAC working groups.
Since our last meeting in May, I have some positive news to give you in relation to our collaboration agreement.First of all, I would like to thank LDAC for sending an opinion to the European Commission concerning the 13 million euro EU-funded FISH GOV 2 project, requesting that the concerns of African fisheries stakeholders be better taken into account.
I can inform you that, thanks to this interpellation, I have been formally contacted by the European Commission, as president of Afrifish, to give our opinion on the mid-term review of this project.
Like LDAC, we want EU funding through FISH GOV II to focus on acons that have a concrete and tangible impact on fishing and fishing communities in Africa. In particular, we would like to see the AFRIFISH platform adequately supported, to ensure the informed participation of all non-state actors in African fisheries and aquaculture in decision-making processes that affect fishing communities.
We hope you will continue to follow this issue on your side. Further proof that AFRIFISH is increasingly recognized by our institutions, the AFRIFISH-NET office also held a meeting in Kenya with the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (UA-BIRA), which develops proposals for the African Union and its members to improve the use of fisheries resources for the benefit of African populations. UA BIRA is now interested in seeing how best to involve AFRIFISH-NET in their work. The next meeting is scheduled for the end of November.
Finally, with the support of the FAO, all the members of the AFRIFISH-NET Board will be travelling to Benin from November 19 to 21, on the occasion of World Fishing Day organized by CAOPA, to discuss what our governments, and their partners such as the EU, should do to implement the Artisanal Fishing Acon Appeal that we had the honor of presenting to you last May.
As part of these discussions, we will address a series of themes that are at the heart of our collaboration agreement, such as the transparency of fishing agreements with fleets from foreign countries; the development of a framework for joint ventures; the improvement of on-board safety in artisanal fishing, in line with ILO Convention 188, and, finally, the promotion of the role of women in African fisheries.
With such a program, I would like, on behalf of CAOPA and also Afrifish, to officially invite LDAC to take part in these days of exchange, which will help us move forward in the concrete implementation of our collaboration agreement.Thank you very much,
Gaoussou Gueye