The state of artisanal fisheries in West Africa in 1995

Benoit Horemans;Fishery and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division

The state of artisanal fisheries in West Africa in 1995

Year of publication 1996

Pages 52

Author Benoit Horemans;Fishery and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division

Product type Project

Edition 1

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) Development strategy during the 1960 and 1970s was based on the philosophy that developing countries lacked improved technology and capital for speeding up their development:Industrialization was promoted in order to capitalize on the abundant fish resources. However, the anticipated expansion of the economy did not happen and the development approach shifted towards an integrated rural strategy where emphasis is put on the community as a whole to upgrade incomes and the quality of life throug h technical assistance and the active participation of fisherfolk and the community. In this context, emphasis was initially placed on the Community Fishery Centre (CFC)concept as a means of promoting artisanal fishery development. But it became apparent that the presence of a complex of facilities and seivices tailored to meet local needs was no guarantee that the structures/facilities would be used or that development would occur. The active participation of fisherfolk and the mobilisation o f local and community resources was imperative in order to assure sustainability of initiatives undertaken by development projects and/or the community. So far and in general terms, the IDAF Programme has worked under the context of abundant or seemingly adequate fishery resources with moderate population pressure. The scenario is however changing (and very fast for that matter) and wewou!d soon face the triple constraints of reduced or depleting fish stocks, degrading environment and increa sing population pressure. Like in other sectors, it must be anticipated that just to survive, parts of the population surplus in the fishing communities will enter the artisanal fisheries, which will increase the competition for the resources among the small scale fisherfolk in addition to the prevailing competition between the artisanal and industrial fisheries, with their attendant effect on the environment.This scenario calls for a côntinuation of the integrated participatory strategy whi ch remains relevant to the development of artisanal fisheries in West Africa. However, the emphasis needs to be placed on the elements and mechanisms that favour the ustainability of initiatives:responsible fishing, the empowerment processes that ensure the devolution of major resource management and development decisions to the local community, the strengthening of national human and institutional capacities at all levels for a sustainable and equitable fisheries resources management and development, as well as in the follow-up and consolidation of past achievements.

Cite this content as:

Horemans, B., The State of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa in 1995. Programme for the 1996 Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa, Cotonou, Benin. 43 p.,

Language English

Also available in:

French

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Governments in the region covered by the IDAF Programrne are increasingly giving priority to the development of artisanal fisheries because of the subsector's increasing role in providing much needed protein and employment opportunities. In their respective development policies there is emphasis on improving the socioeconomic condition of fisherfolk. In general the strategy has been interventions in improved fishing craft, fishing gear, outboard engines, and processing technologies documented in the mentioned region.In spite of the significant progress in production levels, development planners still lack information on the costs and earnings of the artisanal fisherfolk. This has deprived them of the means of adequately assessing the technologies to encourage and those to discourage. The situation has been exacerbated by the fishermen not keeping account of the cost and earning in their operations. An essential element for assessing private and social benefits has, therefore, been marg inalised in development planning and monitoring, in management policy formulation, in relevant sktor related studies, and in project evaluation. Hence the need for data collection on costs, earnings, and profitability of different fishing units with regard to the methods they apply in the subsector. To improve on the short and sporadic studies conducted in the region, the LDAF Programme invited national fisheries administrations and research institutions to collaborate with her to assess the c ost structure, the sharing system, and the profitability of artisanal fisheries operations for a year in ten of its twenty associated countries. The results of the study will be used as a comparative information working document in a workshop to be organised in November 1996. The invited institutions nominated economists or technologists with relevant experience to serve as Study Coordinators in their respective countries. To facilitate the exchange of information and experience these nominees now constitute a Working Group on Costs and Earnings on Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa. The first meeting of this Group was held in Dakar on the 12 and 13 June 1995.
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The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization orthe financing agency concerning the legal status of any country or territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

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