The second PESCAO Regional Steering Committee Meeting was organized through a video conference the 4th June 2020
All the seven implementing partners of different components of the PESCAO program took part in the meeting; these included:
- Component 1: TA PESCAO/ECOWAS (C1) – coordinating on behalf of DRAD/CAEWR;
- Component 2: SFRC, FCWC C3) and EFCA; and
- Component 3 (with the three projects granted): DEMERTSEM; GREPPAO and CECAF-PESCAO
The meeting was opened by the Head of Cooperation and co-chaired by the Head of the Regional Cooperation Section (EUD Nigeria & ECOWAS) and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources (ECOWAS).
Around 60 participants who attended the video conference represented:
- EU HQ (Brussels); EUD (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal),
- ECOWAS (Dept Eternal Relations; PAPs; The Directorate of Environment),
- Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA),
- European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA),
- Sub Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC),
- Fisheries Committee for West and Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC),
- West African Non-States Actors in Fisheries and Aquaculture (WANSAFA),
- SWAIMS Programme,
- Swedish funded program on Climate change funded for the Department of Environment/CAEWR,
- United Nations for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Following the presentations of the persons in charge of the different components and segments,
The Regional Steering Committee:
· Expresses its satisfaction with the excellent organization of the meeting that was reflected by the high number and interest of participants and quality of presentations delivered by the attendees of video conference of PESCAO.· Reiterates its sincere thanks to the European Union for the financial support in improving regional governance of the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector in West Africa.· Recognizes the strong support of the ECOWAS which facilitates the smooth implementation of the PESCAO.· Approves the good work and the performance of the leaders of PESCAO components. The steering committee recommends:
1. ECOWAS to recruit a staff specialist fisheries and aquaculture for the DADR / CAEWR, as soon as possible to ensure the sustainability of the achievements of the projects being implemented.
2. ECOWAS to facilitate the endorsement of the CSFS FAD by the ministers in charge of fisheries and aquaculture in West Africa.
3. ECOWAS to sign the Memoranda of understanding in the view of facilitating the institutional anchorage with the FCWC and SRFC.
4. ECOWAS to support the SRFC to operationalize, through the PESCAO component 2, the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS/SCS) Convention with the member states of the SRFC which have already ratified it before December 31, 2010.
5. FCWC and SRFC to take into consideration the UEMOA Directive on fight against IUU fishing during the review and elaboration of a harmonized regulation in compliance with international agreements and conventions relating to IUU fishing.
6. ECOWAS to upgrade the CSRP study already carried out on sustainable financing mechanisms for MCS operations in the region.
7. ECOWAS to improve the coordination of various projects’ activities and programs in the fisheries and aquaculture sector in West Africa, in particular through the round table of ECOWAP donors.