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NEWS
Foundation Launches New Programme On Fisheries And The Commonwealth
29/04/08: The Commonwealth Foundation, in partnership with the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC) and the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU), today launched a new programme on fisheries management and coastal communities.
Unsustainable fishing, caused by poor fisheries governance, weak management and wasteful, destructive fishing practices, is depleting the world's fisheries and destroying the ocean's ability to renew itself. This not only threatens the future of the oceans and the fishing industry, but the livelihoods and food security of millions of people across the Commonwealth.
Dr. Mark Collins, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, said.
"There is growing concern amongst Commonwealth civil society networks - fishing communities and artisanal fishermen everywhere are alarmed and looking to their governments to take decisive action to preserve their livelihoods,"
In response to this situation, the Foundation has launched a new programme on fisheries and the Commonwealth. The Foundation's partners in this project are the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council (CHEC) and the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU). The findings of the project will be presented to Commonwealth Heads of Government when they meet in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2009.
To launch the programme the Foundation hosted a briefing given by a high-level expert panel of speakers who between them have experience and insight into the governance, environmental, social and economic aspects of fisheries.
Highlighting the importance of fisheries to the Commonwealth, Dr. Timothy Williams, Head of Enterprise and Agriculture at the Commonwealth Secretariat, explained that the Commonwealth includes some of the major fishing countries and regions of the world. He also pointed out that fisheries are significant for food security and are an important source of animal protein in many member countries. Dr. Williams also mentioned that fisheries contribute significantly to foreign currency earnings, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, and that the fisheries sector is an important source of employment and income.
Gareth Thomas, UK Minister for Trade and Development, said that economic growth and poverty reduction could not be achieved without trade, and that for many developing countries trade in fish is vital. He pointed out that the international trade in fish is currently worth over US $80 billion a year with more than half that amount from the developing world.
The Minister said, however, that illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) is a problem whose effects are felt the hardest by the poorest countries "who can least afford the losses of income, jobs and food that illegal fishing entails." He mentioned that new research indicates global annual losses, due to illegal fishing, run to at least US $10 billion, and may be as high as US $23 billion.
Jonathan Shaw, UK Minister for the Marine Environment, said that a range of actions, with international teamwork, is crucial to combat the global problem of illegal fishing. He emphasized how UK departments are cooperating with each other, new UK legislation is being put in place, and European nations are working together on meaningful and effective regulations backed up by monitoring.
The High Commissioner of Mauritius, Abhimanu Kundasamy, spoke about the importance of fisheries to Mauritius and other countries in Southern Africa. He said that fisheries represent a key economic sector which contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product of member states, and fair trading agreements are essential. "Of paramount importance is its impact on food security, poverty alleviation, employment creation as well as deepening regional integration." Mr. Kundasamy went on to stress that "the industry must be sustainable for the long-term benefit of countries in the Southern Africa Development Community - SADC."
Elliot Morley MP, former Environment Minister and Chair of the High Seas Task Force, illustrated vividly the collateral damage to marine ecosystems arising from unsustainable methods. He spoke about the importance of taking effective measures to combat IUU and stressed the need for "crucial political will that will not allow our seas to be destroyed and developing countries to be robbed."
As Richard Bourne, Advisor to the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit explained in the lively question and answer session, the project will go on to make representations to Fisheries Ministers in Southern Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific; draw together case studies of good stewardship in practice; and bring this body of evidence to the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their Trinidad and Tobago meeting. The aim is for CHOGM to use this work as a basis for concerted Commonwealth action to improve fisheries governance and management, prevent illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU), and ensure sustainable world fisheries for the good of all.
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