The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

Brussels, 5th June

Communiqué to the Press By the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Transport of the Republic of Seychelles and Chairman of the Ministers in Charge of Fisheries of ACP Group, Hon. Joel MORGAN.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to this press conference.

As you are aware, the 1st Meeting of the ACP Ministers in Charge of the Fisheries, held in Brussels from 2nd to 5th June, has just been concluded. Allow me to start by expressing my great satisfaction for the manner in which this meeting was conducted and specifically how key issues were addressed.

In recognition of the paramount importance of fisheries to the economies of ACP countries, the 87th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers in Addis Ababa in 2008 adopted a resolution on Fisheries, which called for a first meeting of ACP Ministers in charge of fisheries to be convened in 2009.

I am extremely satisfied with the outcome of this meeting – principal amongst its achievements, is the creation of a mechanism for ministerial coordination and cooperation on fisheries.
The establishment of this mechanism is critical for the ACP Group. Its objective is to provide political support, both within the group and from its external partners, for new approaches to fisheries governance and cooperation in fisheries, in order to ensure that fisheries play their just part in the social and economic development of ACP member States.

Inter alia, the mechanism for ministerial coordination and cooperation on fisheries and aquaculture is to monitor and evaluate major fisheries development, trade and cooperation activities among ACP partners and the EU, and where necessary and appropriate, formulate recommendations for improvement and change.

ACP Ministers also observed with concern the intensifying global fishery crisis, defined by overcapacity of global fishing fleets, Illegal Unregulated Unreported (IUU) fishing, an entirely forfeited global resource rent, and perpetually shrinking global fish stocks – fuelled by strong and resilient world demand for fisheries products and dysfunctional fisheries management models.
Ministers have acknowledged that fisheries resources in most ACP countries are being exploited at near maximum sustainable levels, and call for sustainable management and conservation measures.

It is vital to underline that over two thirds of global capture fisheries output is now originating from developing countries, and the value of globally traded fisheries products is reaching 150 billion USD, when aquaculture is included. While the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to drive many of our national economies is enormous, the looming threats of environmental degradation, resource overexploitation, stock declines, and stock collapses, will have negative impacts on our economies – if not addressed.

Ministers call upon ACP Members to ensure the establishment, or the maintenance of policy and legal frameworks which are, inter alia, in line with the relevant provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 1993 FAO Compliance Agreement, the 1995 United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, RFMO decisions, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and national laws and constitutions, providing a conducive framework for responsible and sustainable fisheries governance.

One of the priority tasks of the Fisheries Mechanism will be to work out and propose a flexible and negotiable timetable for implementation at ACP level of the EU Regulation on IUU fishing, allowing for a gradual implementation of the Regulation within reasonable and practically feasible timeframes.

ACP Ministers also noted that piracy is posing a serious threat to maritime safety and the fishing industry of ACP States, thereby affecting poles of economic growth. Based on that, they wish to solicit the assistance of the international community, when requested by ACP States, in ensuring the safety of all fishing vessels and crew fishing, from acts of piracy and armed robbery which, if allowed to continue unabated, may destroy all efforts in the development and promotion of the fisheries sector.

The envisaged Fisheries Mechanism is also meant to address fisheries governance and trade issues in an even-handed manner, recognizing that functional fisheries governance represents a key conditionality in the absence of which the development of truly beneficial regional and international trade ties are severely compromised.

Meanwhile, Ministers urge ACP Members to evaluate the consequences of potential preferential tariff erosion for fisheries products of national exports, and to start developing approaches to assist the private sector in mitigating related impacts, and to provide support to their respective negotiating teams in Geneva.