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Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements

CFFA

Founded in 1994, CFFA has focused its work on advocacy to advance the rights of artisanal fisheries in African countries in relation to the European Union.

Lobbying Activity

Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for external action

11 Sept 2025

The Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements is a European and African-based platform that sensitizes on the impacts of EU-Africa fishing arrangements on African small-scale fisheries. In the attached contribution (see pdf), we look at the future EU funding for fisheries, the role of EU tools such as Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs), and their potential to become central tools for ocean diplomacy, and the prospects for funding initiatives that will benefit African sustainable artisanal fisheries. For this, CFFA urges the EU to provide clarity and coherence in how fisheries and ocean governance are financed, by placing Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) and EU participation in RFMOs under the Global Europe line. This would ensure better coherence between fisheries and EU development, climate, and biodiversity goals. CFFA also recommends that, in the future,100% of SFPA funding support partner country fisheries priorities, particularly artisanal communities. We also call for a dedicated Team Europe Initiative (TEI) in West Africa to strengthen regional governance and sustainable small-scale fisheries.
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Response to An EU strategy for fisheries external action

7 Aug 2025

CFFA calls for an EU strategy for fisheries external action focused on transparency, social justice, environmental sustainability and the meaningful participation of African artisanal fishing communities, which are the backbone of fisheries in Africa. The definition of the EU strategy for fisheries external action provides an opportunity for the EU to deepen its commitment to Policy Coherence for Development between the European Ocean Pact, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements and other international commitments on environmental and social sustainability for the EU to lead in global inclusive ocean governance. In order to provide genuine support for sustainable fishing, particularly small-scale fishing, in African countries, the EU must also mobilise its financial instruments in a coherent, strategic and targeted manner. At the moment, looking at the MFF 2028-2034 proposal, it is not clear that it will be the case. In CFFAs view, what is essential is that SFPAs become a tool of the strategy for EU external fisheries action, with the primary objective of supporting sustainable fisheries, small scale fisheries in particular, in African partner countries, rather than funding EU fleets access. This can be supplemented by other complementary activities under Global Europe. The strategy for European external fisheries action must be guided by coherence and inclusiveness, where ocean governance is carried out with fishing communities, and not on their behalf. The EU must ensure that its financial, diplomatic and technical choices contribute to strengthening sustainable small-scale fishing communities in partner countries, rather than marginalising it. By doing so, the EU will not only honour its multilateral commitments, but also position itself as a credible player in inclusive ocean diplomacy, capable of combining social justice, marine conservation and food security for the benefit of current and future generations. See further details in the annexed file
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Meeting with Fernando Andresen Guimaraes (Director Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) and

5 Jun 2025 · Priorities and challenges for small-scale fishers in SFPA partner countries

Meeting with Isabella Lövin (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Mar 2025 · Small-scale fishing on Ivory Coast

Meeting with Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Mar 2025 · Partenariats pêche durable

Response to The European Oceans Pact

17 Feb 2025

CFFA is a network of European and African organisations which raises awareness on the impacts of EU-Africa fisheries arrangements on African small-scale fisheries and coastal communities. The UN SR on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment says governance in silos results in failure to prevent ocean damage and to safeguard the environment and human rights. We welcome the EC proposal for a European ocean pact, informed by Dialogues, for a more coherent approach to ocean policies. Small-scale fishers (SSF) are the largest group of ocean users providing food, jobs, livelihoods, culture and welfare. Yet they are also the most vulnerable sector in the fierce competition for ocean use. We agree with the UN SR: Ocean issues are also human rights issues and in addressing ocean governance, priority must be given to securing the ocean-related rights of small-scale fishers through participatory, transparent and accountable processes. Sustainable SSF must be at the heart of the European Ocean pact. Our vision is one where SSF and coastal communities are thriving, their access and tenure rights secured. They provide nutritious, affordable food from sustainable sources. They become co-managers of the coastal areas, ensuring the protection of the ocean and supporting resilient livelihoods. This provides decent employment, promotes generational renewal, gender equality, and fosters fair and participative processes. To achieve this, decision-making processes about ocean uses must be transparent, participative, human-rights-based, gender-sensitive and socially equitable. The blue economy push has brought fierce competition over the use of oceans. This race among often competing interests for ocean food, resources, and space shows the importance of maritime spatial planning (MSP) decision-making. In this planning, the most vulnerable stakeholders, such as SSF, are also often the ones that struggle in getting their interests heard. Additionally, the precautionary approach should be a guiding principle of MSP: no new ocean activity should be allowed if it negatively affects ecosystems and the communities that depend on them for their livelihoods. Externally, the EU must bring a human-rights and ecosystem-based approach into global ocean governance, encouraging others to uphold human rights and the highest social and environmental standards. The European Ocean Pact will have significant implications for fisheries relations between Europe and Africa, the EU required to promote outside of the borders of the EU the same principles and values it applies inside. An EU Ocean diplomacy in Africa must be a partnership which puts African SSF at the centre as a sector for food security of the poorest populations. This partnership should look at: - The socio-economical implications and supporting SSF coastal communities - The importance of sustainable fisheries management, including co-management, and the opportunities for regional collaboration - A bottom-up participative conservation - Addressing climate change EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements are a useful tool to address both the need for fisheries management and support to coastal communities. For this, they should be transformed into governance arrangements, where the funds for fisheries access are decoupled from the sectoral support funds. These latter should be increased to respond to the high costs of sustainable management in partner countries. Regarding market, the EU fleets are subject to high social and environmental standards but are then facing competition from imported products which do not abide by the same standards. FTAs should include reinforced chapters on sustainable development that address specific fisheries concerns and incorporate EU IUU regulations. The EU must look into a due diligence fisheries policy. See attached for more information, and supporting references.
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Meeting with André Rodrigues (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Nov 2024 · The impact of CFP on African coastal communities

Meeting with Isabella Lövin (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Oct 2024 · discussion on SFPAs

Response to Evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy

2 Sept 2024

Implementing the CFP objectives in the external dimension has been challenging, as shown in the 2023 horizontal SFPA evaluation . In order to make the CFP more efficient and effective in its external dimension, SFPAs in particular, changes are needed in terms of governance, third countries stakeholders effective and informed participation, and benefits for local populations, particularly coastal fishing communities, in partner countries. The EU also needs to look beyond the activities of EU flagged vessels, - those that are currently covered by the CFP. Since 2007, the EU distant water fishing fleet has been almost divided by three, from around 700 vessels reported in 2007 to 242 vessels nowadays . The vessels that have left the EU fleet register have not disappeared. Many of them have reflagged to third countries, including African countries. However, their market, and sometimes crew are still largely European, and the ownership, still in the hands of European citizens most importantly, it is European citizens that benefit from their operations. The EU needs to ensure that this EU fleet in disguise, whose beneficiaries are EU citizens, abides by similar sustainability and transparency standards as those specified in the CFP. This is a major challenge to be addressed by the CFP in the future. Finally, if sustainability has to be achieved, to the benefit of local populations, its not only the EU that needs to act. Guidelines, applicable to all distant water fleets, identifying best practices for sustainable, fair and transparent access arrangements should be promoted at regional, like in Africa, and international levels. The EU should play an active part to promote this, including by supporting the current work undertaken by the FAO on access arrangements. When it comes to future access arrangements, the EU should: 1. Shift from fisheries access agreements to fisheries governance agreements 2. Sustain its efforts to support stakeholders informed participation 3. Promote a regional approach for access arrangements 4. Ensure vessels of EU origin abide by sustainability standards 5. Actively engage, at international level, to promote transparent, fair, and sustainable access arrangements See further details in the annexed document
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Response to EU-São Tomé e Príncipe fisheries agreement - negotiation mandate for a new protocol

29 Jan 2024

The renewal of the EU Sao Tomé and Principe (STP) SFPA protocol provides an opportunity to improve transparency, sustainability of the EU and foreign non-EU vessels operations in STP waters, and to support the development of sustainable artisanal fisheries. STP has important challenges to meet in terms of transparency, to make currently unpublished information publicly available, (like fishing agreements, a registry for industrial fishing vessels, etc), and to address information gaps, on small scale fisheries or beneficial ownership. STP has been a Candidate Country for the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) since December 2023. This is an opportunity for the EU and STP to reinforce the transparency requirements under the future SFPA protocol, similar to those under the EU-Mauritania SFPA. Of particular relevance to the SFPA negotiation is the granting by STP of access to non-EU vessels, including purse seiners from EU origin. Over the last years, STP authorities have concluded protocols with entities representing these.The publication of these agreements, as well as of the SFPA, would enable STP civil society to discuss the impacts of granting access to fleets of foreign origin, and sustainability conditions that should apply to all of them, without discrimination. The EU should also promote efforts by STP to implement a measure agreed by the OACPS group, to report on the ultimate beneficial owners of fishing vessels and companies. Support for data collection schemes for artisanal fisheries, to highlight the contribution of the sector to food security and jobs, should be continued. The STP EEZ has 160.000 km2, - 160 times the archipelagos landmass. This shows the challenge for STP to ensure proper control of fishing activities of vessels operating in its EEZ. Using SFPA sectoral support to ensure observers are on board foreign vessels remains essential, as well as supporting the development of the fisheries control center (equipment, training), in particular to ensure the treatment of VMS and ERS/electronic logbook information. Inspections at landing ports (Abidjan, Dakar) by STP inspectors are also essential to improve MCS, and should be supported. It would also be important to develop, in collaboration with the local artisanal sector, appropriate system for monitoring the national artisanal fleet. This would be particularly important as the artisanal fleets develops its range, going further at sea monitoring would provide vital localization information to improve safety at sea. Catches by the artisanal sector have recently been assessed as being in excess of 12,000 tons, including 3,300 tons of tuna species. 80% are sold fresh on the local market, and are a source of affordable protein and other nutrients for many: fish provides up to 2/3 of the animal protein consumed in STP, and artisanal fisheries provides jobs for around 4,000 artisanal fishers, and 2000 fishmongers (mainly women). The challenge is to be able to move part of the artisanal fishing effort offshore, as 80% of the resources are offshore. A strong coastal pelagics value chain is therefore key for future food security and livelihoods. The government of STP presented, in November 2023, the strategic plan for the coastal pelagic fisheries sector. The strategy is the result of a wide dialogue spearheaded by the EU funded project FISH4ACP. Its aim is to upgrade the coastal pelagics value chain over the next ten years in order to satisfy growing domestic and make the sector more profitable and environmentally sustainable. This would be achieved with a better-organized and trained workforce, improved equipment (including for cold chain) and more responsible fisheries management. The SFPA sectoral support should focus on supporting artisanal fisheries through synergies with the FISH4ACP project. The future protocol should also continue to keep EU vessels away from the 12 miles from the coast, to avoid interactions with local artisanal fleets.
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Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament)

30 May 2023 · Conférence Accords de Pêche et communautés locales

Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Mar 2023 · Accord de Pêche UE-Maurice

Meeting with Grace O'Sullivan (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jun 2022 · Fishing Globally - Fisheries Agreements and Regional Fisheries Management Organisations

Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament) and Long Distance Advisory Council / Consejo Consultivo de Flota de Larga Distancia / Conseil Consultatif de Pêche Lointaine

16 Jun 2022 · Retraite PECH Verts/ALE - Accords de Pêche et Organisations Régionales de Gestion des Pêche

Response to Evaluation of SFPAs

15 Feb 2021

CFFA notes that there have been improvements in the management of SFPAS, particularly on transparency of activities of EU fleets. However, for SFPAs to be truly sustainable and equitable, we believe these adjustments in sustainable fisheries management and the sustainable development of the local sector are necessary, especially the artisanal sector, as provided for in the Regulation: 1. Clarify SFPA governance objectives in relation to the new EU commitments -Clarify the contribution to the fulfilment of human rights, including the right to food and food security, as well as gender issues -Include the SSF FAO Guidelines as a general objective in the basic regulation and as a specific objective of SFPAs, particularly in view of IYAFA 2022 -Consider in a coherent way the new EU commitments (Green Deal, Farm to fork strategy, IOG) in the regulatory framework of SFPAs 2. A better definition of the different stocks and distribution methods -The difference in access should be distinct between stocks defined by surplus and stocks defined by quotas within RFMOs -A regional approach for access to small pelagic species. The Commission should encourage concerted management of these species 3. Better involvement of stakeholders, especially civil society Consultation should happen in the negotiation and the implementation: -The EU ensures that the partner State has consulted its stakeholders before and during the negotiations -The EU ensures that consultation has been done to define sectoral support priorities, so that measures are as consensual as possible 4. Transparency A)Publication of data on access and fishing effort in the waters of partner countries (EU and non-EU) -Effective implementation of the non-discrimination clause, and publication of the conditions of access of non-EU fleets to the waters of partner countries, so that the overall fishing effort can be known And in line with the work of FiTI, increase transparency of the overall fishing effort in third country waters by including specific clauses in the protocols: -Publish the list of vessels under licence -Publish existing agreements with other foreign fleets -Publish EU catch levels -Publish EU licence fees B)Use of public money: publication of the achievements of sector support -Publish matrices -Publish an annual report on the implementation of the actions in the matrix, including a list of projects carried out and the amounts spent 5. Analyse the budgetary efficiency of SFPAs -Sectoral support should become budget support -Ship owners to pay for access, and use public money to support of public fisheries policies and the development of fisheries sectors in third countries -Implement capacity building schemes -A transparent system should ensure that all shipowners, EU and non-EU, pay the same price for access 6. Review the basis for calculation of financial compensation 7. Improve control of fishing operations and capacity building of the partner countries -Systematize fleet activities communication by the Member States to the Commission. The Commission to ensure its right of follow-up (infringement proceedings) where appropriate -Publish the audit on the external fleet that it carried out on the occasion of a pilot case SFPAs should provide for capacity building, particularly on the MCS 8. Assess value chains -Trace and monitor EU catches in partner countries -Contribute to the strengthening of supply and processing arrangements for EU catches when they are landed -Include specific support for women's work and needs 9. Implement the social clause -Regulate boarding conditions -Include the social clause as agreed by the European social partners in SFPAs -Develop rigorous training systems 10. Coherence with development policy -Align SFPAs with the tools of the development cooperation policy for greater coherence with the partner country and budgetary rigour at EU level -Develop a strategy per region for EU programmes in the fisheries sector coherent between DGs
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Response to Negotiation mandate for a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Guinea

8 Jul 2020

Summary: In a potential future negotiation for an SFPA with Guinea, the EU should make sure it contributes towards resource and environmental sustainability, and that it supports the development of the local fisheries sector. In the current climate of political tension in this West African country, it is essential that local fisheries stakeholders’ voices are unimpeded so they can address some sensitive issues, such as transparency and the fight against IUU fishing. The EU should ensure that artisanal fisheries activities are not encroached on, particularly by coastal trawlers, so that both coastal communities’ livelihoods and food security for the population are guaranteed. For this reason, and also because of lack of reliable scientific data on coastal fisheries, let alone the existence of a surplus, the EU fleets should access tuna species only. Key comments: 1. The tense political situation: a stronger human rights clause Taking into account the tense political situation in Guinea, in the event of the start of negotiations for an SFPA, it is imperative that the EU, in cooperation with Guinea, ensures the terms and conditions for good governance and sustainability set out in the Cotonou Agreement and in the future EU-Africa Strategy. In this regard, the EU should consider having a stronger human rights clause, allowing the Agreement to be denounced in case of a breach of universal rights, including the right to food. 2. Contributing towards resource and environmental sustainability: a) Clarifying some unclear aspects in the fisheries management national plan A future SFPA between the EU and Guinea should be in line with and contribute to the goals that Guinea has for the sustainable development of its local fisheries sector. Guinea has signed the Convention on Minimal Access Conditions (CMA) of the SRFC, which insists on the precautionary approach in the management of resources. In the context of potential future negotiations, this precautionary approach needs to be followed, especially bearing in mind the lack of scientific data on the state of the fish stocks, data which is either non-existing or obsolete, and considering that several aspects in the 2020 fisheries management plan which remain unclear. b) Continuing efforts of transparency Since 2016, Guinea has taken some commitments with regards to transparency in the fisheries sector, and these should be welcomed and reinforced. 3. EU long distance fleet access: tuna only Signing an SFPA with the EU covering tuna fleets access would allow Guinea to derive better economic benefits from the tuna resources passing through its EEZ, and would improve how the presence of this fleet is monitored by both parties. In the current state of Guinea’s lack of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and scientific research capacity, and in the absence of data, having an SFPA that allows shrimp or demersal trawlers access, would not fulfil the aim of promoting sustainable fisheries. It would also put these vessels in competition with local artisanal fishers, who depend upon these coastal fisheries for their livelihoods. 4. Contributing to fight against IUU fishing: IUU is a critical issue in terms of sustainability and livelihoods since illegal activities in the coastal areas encroach on zones and resources also used by the artisanal sector. IUU fishing also affects the level playing field between the various fleets operating in Guinean waters. 5. Sectoral support: research, MCS, support to fishing communities Considering all the points mentioned above, sectoral support should be used to improve scientific research as well as MCS capacities, including through participatory surveillance, especially because in 2015 Guinea’s EEZ increased. Special attention should be also given to the needs of women fish processing, as they are a vital for their contribution to food security. Attached, the full contribution with research and findings that support these ideas.
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Response to EU Action Plan of Gender equality and women’s empowerment in external relations for 2021-2025

11 Mar 2020

Women play a key role in fisheries, and particularly in small scale fisheries, in all the countries with which the European Union (EU) has signed a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), either in Africa, Indian Ocean, or the Pacific. By making fish products – a source of proteins, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals – available at affordable cost to the population, including the poorest and those living far from the coasts, women working in artisanal fisheries sector contribute significantly to food security. It is now time for the EU to adopt a coherent policy approach to ensure women in fisheries issues are duly taken into consideration when negotiating an SFPA. The main areas to be addressed in that context include: 1. Ensuring sustainable access to raw material for women fish processors and fishmongers by Making sure EU fleets do not have access to resources that are vital for women’s activities; Encouraging EU fleets landings. 2. Improving women in fisheries working conditions by supporting projects and initiatives via sectoral support funds; designing coherent EU development action. 3. Improve the visibility of women contribution to fisheries and their representation in SFPA negotiation and implementation processes by: - Ensuring the participation of organisations of women in fisheries organisations to the negotiation and implementation of SFPAs; - Systematically including women organisations as stakeholders in the evaluations of EU SFPAs. The analysis of the impact of the SFPAs should highlight any specific impact on women in local fisheries and the use of disaggregated data should be mandatory in all cases where it is relevant; - Giving due consideration in the use of sectoral funds to the identified needs of women, especially when part of the sectoral support is allocated to local fisheries development. See full text of the contribution at: https://www.cffacape.org/publications-blog/contributing-to-the-promotion-of-the-women-in-fisheries-livelihoods-through-sfpas-between-eu-and-african-countries
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