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afrol News, 31 October - In an attempt to work against the difficult situation in Angolan economy, the artisanal fisheries, constituting an essential part of the livelihood in the country's coastal communities, are now receiving funds from several sources. Yesterday, a government project with the intention to expand Angola's fishing activities and aiming at improving artisanal fishers' incomes and standard of living, received external funding. Earlier this month, the government signed a fisheries agreement with the European Union (EU), also directing substantial funds at the artisanal fisheries sector. The project agreed upon yesterday involves the development of ten coastal fishing sites in remote areas of the country and is to help strengthen the capacity of fishermen, improve fish production, processing and marketing through the rehabilitation of fish sale points in Namibe, Luanda and Cabinda, according to a statement by the African Development Fund (ADF). It is also hoped to "contribute to food security and the improvement of the living conditions of about 24,000 fishermen, as well as the generation of about 1,000 jobs for men in the smallholder production and 1,500 jobs for women in processing (including drying) and distribution (marketing, transport and sales) of fish," the Fund says. A loan of approximately US$ 9.25 million, which yesterday was approved by the ADF, will be used to finance 78 percent of foreign exchange and 60 percent of the local cost of this project, whose total cost is estimated at US$ 12.24 million. As commendable as this enterprise may seem, the hardships have hardly yet begun for the Angolan artisanal fisheries, as modern industrial fishing companies eat ever more into the limited resources of coastal Angola. Recent observations by Joanna Benn of the conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) from the area bear testimony to the gravity of the fisheries' situation. She tells of the endless and futile efforts of men fishing, where no fish are. Locals told her that "drag fishing takes everything. There are no nurseries left or places for the baby fish to grow. When they bring the fish on board they choose the ones they are going to sell and throw the rest away, which then dies." This owes in part, Ms Benn says, to the fact that no restrictions are being enforced on neither commercial Angolan boats nor the foreign fleet that goes along the coast as there are no efficient means of control to ensure that they comply with regulations. This also goes for the numerous pirate ships that prey on the same resources. Important in this respect is the status of Angolan waters as one of the European Union's (EU) fishing waters. The European Commission has access agreements with many African countries to secure fishing rights for EU fleets. Such agreements are based on direct payment for the right to fish, and often include conditions for the number and types of vessels that EU fleets can use. However, environmental and development measures that could also be included in the agreement are rarely sufficient, if they are present at all. "Sometimes there is not even any limit on the amount of fish that can be caught. This is the case for the agreement with Angola," Joanna Benn reports, and adds; "the EU does furthermore seem to be as concerned about fishing rights for the EU's subsidised fleet as with helping Angolans sustain their own country." - We think that our agreement is in not in contradiction with the priorities of the national authorities in Angola, specifically, our agreement does not target species which are consumed internally in Angola, was Constantin Alexandrou, Deputy Head of Directorate General for Fisheries at the European Commission's, response to this alleged protectiveness on behalf of the directorate. Although EU money for fishing rights no doubt constitutes "an important source of hard currency for many coastal African countries", there is reason to question how the EU advice (that a percentage be spent on training and infrastructure) on the later application of the money is followed up, according to Ms Benn. She has apparently reason to breathe more easily if the project agreed upon yesterday has the intended impact on the local communities. This is not, however, much likely if the general and nationwide situation of maritime resource depletion not is significantly improved. According to WWF this can best be achieved one bases the renewal of the access agreements on "an evaluation of the existing agreement from an environmental and developmental point of view and a proper assessment of fish stocks." As fish stocks in West Africa are a quarter of what they where 50 years ago, any participant in Angolan fishing activities will have to take no small measure of responsible action within this frame of reality. There is also much excitement attached to the European Commission's pledge of May this year where fairer fishing deals with poorer countries were issued. If this is to be, put in the words of Ms Benn, "more than mere rhetoric", the EU "must pursue fair and sustainable access agreements to protect the marine environment and secure jobs and food supplies." By Knut Henrik Gjone Sources: Based on WWF and afrol archives
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