Fishing for complements

With almost three-quarters of the world s marine fish stocks thoroughly depleted, the question is very much alive. Not least in those ACP countries whose waters host rich shoals of fish. The islands of the Caribbean, and the Pacific and Indian Oceans, are highly vulnerable, as are African economies such as Mauritania, Namibia and Senegal. For Senegal, fisheries provide 15% of employment, 30% of exports, and 12% of the gross domestic product. Some 60% of landings are from artisanal fisheries. Overfishing is rife. Two in three fish consumed in Europe come from outside EU waters, often from ACP waters, usually through bilateral agreements which give access to 500 EU boats (20% of the EU fleet). Mind you, not for nothing does the term IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported) feature in the jargon. Europe s capacity to fish and hence satisfy consumers and keep fishing communities intact exceeds by 40% the capacity required to harvest fish sustainably. Do the sums, and you ll find that some very vested interests have to walk the plank. The dilemma is an ugly one, at least as ugly as some of the beasts now trawled up from the deep. A solution must be found the alternative is no fish at all. In early April 2003, 150 people gathered in Brussels, Belgium under the auspices of CTA and the Commonwealth Secretariat, to discuss EU/ACP fisheries relations policy-makers, negotiators, inter-governmental bodies, NGOs and issue groups. Their tasks: to enhance ACP effectiveness in attaining sustainability in fisheries, through conserving the natural capital of ACP fisheries and maximising the economic and social benefits for ACP countries. Just as seagulls follow trawlers when out fishing, so does this story a resurgent element on CTA s horizons demand to be followed closely.How can we share the oceans to everybody s mutual benefit