By Mamadou Edrisa Njie, reporting from Tangier
Social protection coverage to artisanal fishers could contribute to improving livelihoods and sustainable fisheries, so stated Mr. Sadiki Mohamed, Head, Department of Programmes and Projects at the Executive Secretariat of ATLAFCO/COMHAFAT, in Morocco.
Presenting a paper on the topic: ‘Social Protection, Decent Work and Artisanal Fisheries, Situation and Prospects’, Mohamed pointed out that both at the international and regional level, there are instruments that promote and protect fishermen, citing the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) 1995 Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
The chief of Programmes and Projects at ATLAFCO’s Executive Secretariat, was speaking at the rounded Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation Among African States Bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO/COMHAFT) seminar on the main theme: “For access to decent and secure jobs in fisheries in West Africa”, held from 3rd – 4th October, 2019, in the North African nation, Morocco.
He said the purpose of the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct is to set international standards of behaviour for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity.
He also recalled the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication developed in 2014 by FAO, in addition to the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries of 1995. Also, the United Nations Programme for Sustainable Development 2015-2030, was cited.
At the level of African continent, he mentioned the Policy and Reform Strategy Framework for Fisheries and Aquaculture, adopted in June 2014, with objective to strengthen the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation, food and nutrition security and socio-economic benefits, especially for fishing communities.
On Artisanal fishing at the international level, Mr.Mohamed indicated that social protection thereto, include the governance of land tenure systems for small-scale fisheries and resource management, social development, employment and decent work.
He acknowledged that value chains, postharvest and marketing as well as gender equality and disaster risk and climate change are all in the centre stage of the international instruments.
Noting that the framework for Africa’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Reform Policy and Strategy, 2014 talks on sustainable conservation and use of resources, he added that the strategy highlighted the sustainable development of artisanal fishing, sustainable development of aquaculture, responsible and equitable fish trade and marking.
In addition, the strategy also emphasizes on strengthening of regional and sub-regional cooperation to raise awareness raising and support in the human capacity development, as per Mohamed’s exposition. He also cited some of the challenges related to the social protection of small-scale fisheries which include the requirement to register workers and the recognition of the workers in the fishery sector as a form of formal employment.
The budgetary constraints faced by fishery workers and the lack of up-to-date information on the size and socio-economic characteristics of the fisheries sector, were also alluded to by the Head of Programmes and Project.
He rounded off with a recommendation for massive investment in the up-to-date data collection system to protection scheme by ensuring that fishing licenses are subject to registration in the social fund.
