Fair Fishing Deals

Time for change Sustainable use of natural resources is for nations, and have agreed to work towards many developing countries the only means to the Millenium Development Goals set out in eradicate poverty, prevent food shortage and Johannesburg in 2002. fuel development. To ensure the future for To meet these goals and to give people Food security – fish is vital ! Exporting overfishing local communities that depend upon a and fisheries a chance, WWF calls on the healthy marine environment, fisheries access EU to adopt sustainability principles in its Marine fisheries are vital to food security in agreements must respect both local fishers agreements and advocate for Parties to the The lack of capacity leads to many access agreements many poorer coastal states. Over 39 per cent having no limit to how much fish can be caught, causing and marine resources and be part of an FAO Commission on Fisheries to solely severe environmental damage, bycatch of sometimes integrated approach to environmental enter into fisheries partnership agreements of the global population live within 100 threatened species, and ultimately to the depletion of fish sustainability and development. As such, with developing countries under the kilometers of a coast, and many of these resources on which local communities and industry of the they must be carefully designed, managed auspices of a fully developed fisheries people depend on the productivity of the sea. management plan and design those coastal State depend for income and food supply. and enforced. In Asia alone, over one billion people rely on The European Commission negotiates fisheries Industrialised nations have a responsi- according to the seven key principles agreements with third countries – Fisheries Partnership bility towards the future of people in poorer described above. the sea for protein. Agreements (FPA) – under the auspices of the Common Fisheries also provide jobs and income Fisheries Policy. It currently has such agreements in place to many people in coastal areas. In Senegal, with more than 20 countries in Africa, the Indian Ocean and for example, the fishing industry accounts for the Pacific. As an example, in 2004, Spain had fisheries 15 per cent of national employment. agreements with 18 States, 16 of which in the developing world – as far apart as Kiribati and Cape Verde. Despite the importance of healthy fish stocks to food security and local and national economies, rampant overfishing threatens to Reflagging and deprive more than one billion people in 40 developing countries of their main source of joint ventures protein, according to the UN Development Programme. ©WWF-CANON / TANTYO BANGUN Getting access to fisheries resources within a country's ©WWF-CANON / JÜRGEN FREUND ©WWF-CANON / JÜRGEN FREUND exclusive economic zone is also done by reflagging vessels or establishing joint ventures with a local company. Joint ventures are meant to facilitate transfer of know-how and penalties for operating in violation of the regulations International obligations technology, securing long-term development of the fisheries established under bilateral access agreements. sector of the partner, and are partly financed by the EU. In Reflagging and joint ventures must only be reality, they often enable EU vessels to fish in countries with allowed when a strong management structure is in As inadequate fisheries management leads to access to fish for excess stocks in their waters. a minimum of fisheries management in place, and allow place, have strict terms of references, and their actual Fair fishing deals more and more fish stocks becoming Such access agreements can be on a state-to- unscrupulous vessel owners to avoid any monitoring or benefit to the coastal state is assessed, as they are depleted in industrialised nations' waters, state, or private basis. If properly designed, they restrictions imposed upon foreign vessels, and escape the truly uncertain. many vessels venture far from home to catch can generate substantial foreign exchange revenue Sustainable development through sound fisheries management enough fish to keep their businesses running for developing countries and help developing the and to feed an ever-growing market demand. infrastructure needed for monitoring and enforcing According to the UN Law of the Sea, any fisheries management efforts. But if not, they nation has the right to give other nations contribute to overfishing and exacerbate poverty, The Cotonou Agreement – Fisheries access agreements are principles of sustainability – both in terms leading to tension between increasingly common arrangements of environment, economy and social governments, local fishers ©WWF-CANON / MARTIN HARVEY providing an incentive between big fishing nations and coastal aspects – and the EU is now aiming for and industrial groups. developing countries. Many of these all its vessels to exploit fisheries in a Access agreements have agreements simply allow foreign vessels sustainable manner, whether in European in the past rarely had In 2000, the EU signed an agreement with 77 access to coastal fisheries through or distant waters. If these principles are adequate provisions for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries – the WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the WWF's Global Marine Programme paying a lump sum in cash, with no incorporated into all new fisheries access ensuring sustainable Cotonou Agreement. This aims to tackle planet’s natural environment and to build a future in WWF International obligations on how this money should be agreements between the EU and third fisheries management, nor poverty and promote sustainable development which humans live in harmony with nature, by: Avenue du Mont Blanc used, nor for the vessel owners to countries, fishing deals could achieve considered the protection of through focusing on development cooperation 1196 Gland, Switzerland ◆ conserving the world’s biological diversity respect the state of fish stocks. healthy fisheries, contribute to the marine environment. and trade between the EU and these Tel: +41 22 364 9019 Such agreements often entail negative sustainable development and reduce According to the UN Law of countries. WWF believes fisheries partnership ◆ ensuring that the use of renewable natural Fax: +41 22 364 0526 [email protected] consequences for fisheries and local poverty. the Sea, a fisheries agreements should be one of the cornerstones resources is sustainable www.panda.org/marine communities, for example by depriving To bring about this essential change of in this approach, and through integrating FPA agreement should be signed ◆ promoting the reduction of pollution and local communities and local fishing direction in access agreements, WWF is negotiations with European development only if fish stocks are not wasteful consumption industries from revenue opportunities, focussing our work on the EU. We believe policy, the EU can champion the promotion of fully utilised. But in reality, and are in breach with the development the EU's legal framework for distant water sound resource management in developing most developing nations goals agreed upon by the international fleets can, if properly designed, serve as countries – making a difference for people and have little or no capacity to community. a model for sustainable agreements to be monitor their fish stocks, nor ©WWF-CANON / MARK EDWARDS fisheries. The European Union's reformed used by all countries engaged in distant to control and enforce Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) includes water fishing. ©WWF-CANON / JO BENN bilateral agreements. 3 2 WWF’s strategy for fair fishing deals New partnership agreements – Current EU fisheries partnership agreements an opportunity for change To help fishing nations and third countries develop fair agreements, Through the introduction of FPAs, European access deals WWF has developed a global strategy to negotiate fairer access have taken a step towards becoming a management tool agreements and is working in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific for sustainable resource use. If properly implemented, they Ocean to share this strategy with fishers, governments, fisheries can provide a governance structure that reduces the managers and other stakeholders. WWF has also produced a footprint of European vessels on the marine resources of handbook for developing nations to use when negotiating sustainable developing countries and promote equal sharing of fisheries deals, based upon one basic requirement and seven key benefits from the exploitation of marine resources principles. WWF's principal requirement is that: between fishing nation and the country giving access to resources. Fisheries partnership agreements should only be granted Every few years, the EU renegotiates its agreements under the auspices of a fully developed fisheries management with third countries. As the reformed CFP emphasises plan and after conducting environmental impact assessments. the promotion of sustainable fisheries for all European vessels, WWF is working to ensure that the EU fulfils its Agreements should ensure a comprehensive, ecosystem-based obligations on sustainability and true partnership with approach to management of all activities. Management should include third countries. However, a transition from heroic measures to promote selective fishing gear to reduce bycatch, close intentions to real change requires cooperation between ©WWF-CANON / MEG GAWLER spawning and nursery grounds to fishing during key periods and the the EU's external policies.

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