This is the PFA's response to the action taken by Greenpeace to highlight EU subsidised fishing effort by some of the world's largest trawlers working off the west coast of Africa - mainly Mauritanian and Senegalese waters.
The Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association (PFA) condemns the dangerous actions of Greenpeace in the waters off Mauritania targeted against member vessels of the PFA. The use of small inflatable boats in the Atlantic Ocean far from shore to harass our vessels puts Greenpeace staff at great risk and is reckless. As a matter of fact, the PFA embraces the importance of sustainable fishing and has been committed to effective fishery management in this region for years. In addition, PFA fishers have only a limited presence in this fishing area.
On an annual basis, an average of 50 international freezer-trawlers are active in Mauritanian waters, focusing on small pelagic fish stocks. 30 to 35 of these trawlers originate from countries such as Russia, China, Korea, and Belize. Of the 17 to 20 EU licences available, the PFA uses 6 to 7 annually. The PFA fleet fishes exclusively for human consumption. The fish caught is intended for the people with limited purchasing power in West-Central African countries, and the PFA has the required logistic and distribution infrastructure at its disposal to achieve this. Recently and to a rapidly increasing degree, ships operating under the Mauritanian flag are also catching pelagic fish for the production of fish meal. However, this fish meal is sold outside Africa and goes to countries with a large fish farming sector such as China.
In view of the size of the total fleet, it is imperative that the Mauritanian government manages the pelagic fisheries more effectively. The EU can fulfil a decisive role here, under the terms of the bilateral agreement.
The current EU agreement with Mauritania comes to an end in mid-2012. The PFA strongly presses the European Commission to include the implementation of an effective fishery management system as a core element of negotiations with the Mauritanian government. Furthermore, the PFA expects the European Commission to make an active commitment to improve pelagic fishery management at regional level for the whole of North-West Africa (CECAF area). A clear role is also reserved for the European Union to develop the infrastructure that will make it possible for a pelagic logistic hub to be established in Mauritania. The primary focus here is on harbour facilities - and everything else involved - with the aim of using Mauritania as a base to provide the African hinterland with healthy cheap protein originating from pelagic fish.
The PFA aims to fish in a responsible manner in the waters in which it is active. Accordingly, members of the PFA choose to fish sustainably and to make an active contribution to research into fish stocks and innovative, selective methods of fishing. In addition, the PFA is emphatically committed to international and European agreements for good fishery management. So much so that the members of the PFA that have been active for more than a century, will be able to continue for at least the next 100 years.
The PFA is striving to achieve an active dialogue with the scientific community, national and international governments and NGOs seeking partnership. Only this dialogue between the fishery sector, scientists, managers and NGOs has been globally proven to achieve effective fishery management.
See the Greenpeace video and Guardian article that prompted this response from the PFA. See the PFA web site here: