Report of the Workshop on the assessment and management of shrimps and crabs in South-West Africa (Luanda, Angola, 8-12 March 1999)

Abstract

The workshop compiled and analysed the data from the different fisheries with the view to identify opportunities for sub-regional and/or bilateral arrangements for the management of sharing shrimp resources in the sub-region. It was based on questionnaires, prepared by FIRM/FAO officers in advance covering inter-alia: resources, fleets, management measures and institutional arrangements. 13 scientists from Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Namibia, Norway and FAO attended the meetin g. The last meeting dealing with shrimp fisheries in the region was held in Limbé, Cameroon in 1985. The present meeting was planned as a complement to the CECAF ongoing work on the assessment and management of shrimp stocks in the Gulf of Guinea. Most countries do not yet have adequate systems for routine collection of catch, effort and biological data, this being a major difficulty for a proper assessment and management of stocks. The case of some vessels that are fishing in one country by lan ding in another one is of particular concern, as most of the time they do not provide the county concerned with proper information on the catch made in their waters. A major difficulty in conducting co-operative assessments arises from the use of different units of effort in different countries. This alone has made the analysis more difficult and rendered the results more uncertain. Several recommendations on future activities were formulated, in particular on the role and mechanisms for regiona l and sub-regional co-operation.