Tensions between the EU and West Africa off Africa's coasts: are EU access agreements harming Africa's artisanal fisheries?
Scharm, W.
Agriculture + Rural Development 12(2): 38-40
2005
Document Number: 667956
This paper shows that West Africa's fishery sector cannot be simply characterized by the alleged antagonism of local artisanal fishing and industrial foreign fleets. Realities are more complex, as is the West African coastal states' relationship with the EU. The two sides may have conflicting interests, but each is dependent, in its own way, on the region's abundant aquatic resources, and both are bound by a common framework of international law. The case of Mauritania is discussed, highlighting both the negative and positive aspects of its fisheries access agreements with the EU. The paper concludes by highlighting two major challenges facing the West African fishery sector: (1) striking a balance between the immediate need to generate income via access agreements and the establishment of autonomous economic structures for the long-term use of fish stocks; and (2) integrating artisanal fishing into a sustainable resource management system.