Lack of quotas allowing EU fleet to decimate fish stocks off Africa

Date: 04/07/02

By David Cronin

EU FISHING agreements with poor countries have contributed to more than a halving of some fish stocks in African waters, according to new research.

Marine experts meeting in Senegal last weekend reported that the excessive exploitation of fish by EU, Russian and some Asian fleets is undermining the security of food supplies in West Africa.

Daniel Pauly, a biologist with the University of British Columbia, spoke of the devastating effects of over-fishing on 'demersal' stocks, which live at, or near, the bottom of the sea.

'Our results show that overall the bottom fish biomass off the coast of Northwest Africa has now declined to less than a quarter of its 1950s value,' he said. 'Similar trends are occurring further south along the African coast all the way to Namibia.'

One paper presented to the Dakar conference stated that many accords which the Union signs with West African governments do not stipulate limits on the amount of fish which European fleets can catch.

For example, a deal reached with Guinea-Bissau in 1997 granted 89 EU vessels the right to catch tuna in return for an annual licence fee of €27,500. No quotas were mentioned in the agreement.

The World Wide Fund for Nature is calling on the European Commission to drastically change the nature of its fisheries agreements as part of its recently launched drive to combat over-fishing.

'A collapse of fish stocks in West Africa could have significantly more serious human consequences than in Europe and North America,' said campaign group head Claude Martin. 'The reform of the European Union's fisheries policy provides an ideal opportunity to reverse its over-exploitation of the fish resources of West Africa.'

Franz Fischler, the agriculture and fisheries Commissioner, said last week that he is committed to achieving 'sustainable fisheries'.

He was commenting after announcing details of a four-year agreement granting EU fishing rights in Senegalese waters.

As part of the package, the EU has agreed to reduce the amount of demersal fish it will catch from 10,000 to 8,000 gross tonnes.

It has withdrawn its request to exploit pelagic - mid-water - species, arguing that these are the preserve of locally based artisanal fishermen.

EU fishing agreements with poor countries have contributed to more than a halving of some fish stocks in African waters, according to new research.