Partnership for African Fisheries report of the PAF Working Groups retreat in Nairobi, 26-27 May

As Africa prepares to report on the second trimester review of its progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September 2010, close to 80 percent of the African population remains largely dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods and survival, making them profoundly vulnerable to natural and socio-economic shocks that affect agricultural production.

The important role of fisheries in the African agricultural sector is highlighted by the fact that approximately 10 million Africans derive their livelihood from the fishing industry and are employed in different entry points of the fishing value chain. Africa’s contribution to global trade in fish and fish products generates revenues of up to US$4.5 billion for African economies locally.

Fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa are critical in addressing food security and poverty alleviation as the basis for viable and sustainable socio-economic market-led growth. In addressing the critical role of fisheries in Africa, CAADP provides a basis for determining priorities to support fisheries, addressing policy issues to improve sustainable fisheries in contributing to Africa’s economy, setting time-bound actions to scale up best practice in fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa.

Yet a number of challenges threaten the sustainability of African fisheries. These include global mismanagement, illegal fishing, over-fishing, ill-used subsidies and much more. Within the framework of CAADP, a partnership has been developed to address the key issues of governance, policy, legislation, trade, communication and advocacy to address the challenges that face fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa. The continent stands to gain substantially through improving fisheries governance to enable the inherent wealth of this valuable and renewable natural asset to be realized and protected.

Established in 2008, the Partnership for Fisheries in Africa (PAF) is a consortium of strategic and financial partners committed to working together to realise the common vision of establishing African fisheries to contribute significantly to African prosperity and growth.

The partnership ensures that fisheries policy reform is based on sound evidence-based advice that will lead to meaningful action and positive changes. The basic working areas of PAF include awareness campaigns for change; enhancing trade, developing a common voice for African fisheries; developing an African fisheries reform strategy, and establishing a viable think tank. In terms of the implementation and institutional arrangements of PAF, in addition to the think tank, four working groups have been established that focus on illegal fishing, governance and trade.

To discuss the identified essential changes needed to enhance the fishery resource and stimulate economic growth and provide pathways out of poverty across the continent - the African Union Commission in partnership with the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) will be hosting its first ever Conference of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries in Africa (CAMFA) in Banjul, The Gambia on 20-23 September 2010 .

Click here to download the CAMFA 20-23 September 2010 conference brochure (PDF file - 993kb)
Also available in French

In support of CAADP, the conference seeks among others to:

• Seek priority actions to scale up best practices in fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa;
• Determine priorities to support the governance of fisheries;
• Set policies to improve sustainable fisheries in contributing to Africa’s economy and welfare; and
• Establish and validate fisheries management, based on rational economic principles.

Ahead of CAMFA, the working groups of PAF met in Nairobi, Kenya 26-27 May 2010 to discuss progress to date on preparation of CAMFA within the context of ongoing strategy development and implementation plans of each working group. An important addition to PAF, which was presented for the first time at the PAF meeting of working groups, is the all-important working group, led by the University of Malawi’s Bunda College on Aquaculture Development which will oversee policy research and development necessary to enhance aquaculture production in Africa as an aspect of wealth creation, food security and poverty alleviation.

PAF anticipates that an important outcome of CAMFA will be a CAMFA resolution on African Fisheries, Governance and Trade 2010 to be submitted for consideration at the next African Union Heads of State and Governments Summit in January 2011.

Other expected outcomes of the conference include devising partnerships and leadership mechanisms including public, private sector, civil society and development partnerships necessary to achieve effective governance of African fisheries, and finally, determining the status of overseas development assistance trends in African fisheries and the evaluation of such assistance on the performance of fisheries institutions and management in Africa.