Publisher's Synopsis
Fisheries represent up to 30% of state budget revenues in West African countries and employ 7 million people in West and Central Africa. If the sector is to develop, or simply continue to exist at present levels, a number of policy challenges will have to be addressed in a coherent manner, covering the environment, technology, economic aspects, social aspects, governance and the contribution of fisheries to poverty alleviation and basic nutrition. The number of issues is vast, ranging from illiteracy to EU trade policy. Unfortunately, fisheries policies often appear to be disconnected from national policies and conflicts between the fisheries sector and other sectors such as tourism and maritime transport can be observed. Moreover, fishing agreements contribute to a large extent to West African States' budgets, and yet more adapted fisheries management policies are likely to benefit States much more than fishing agreements when these policies are conducted in a coherent manner over the long-term. Lack of coherence among fisheries and other policies is detrimental to the sustainable and efficient management of the fisheries sector. In this context, the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC/OECD) and the OECD Fisheries Policy Division worked with regional organisations, notably Enda Diapol/REPAO, to help them tackle the question of policy coherence, by providing an analytical framework adapted to the local context, based on the facts and realities in the field, in order to improve the coherence of fisheries policies on both the national and regional levels. This report has been prepared for use by both local decision-makers and OECD member countries, as well as by all actors concerned by the sustainable development of fisheries in West Africa
