With the growth of fishmeal production in West Africa, CFFA partners are organising a regional meeting to discuss the local impacts on food security, employment, resources and health. Here we highlight the key concerns and set out some questions to inform the meeting. Instructions are provided on how you can contribute to a online discussion that will lead up to this event. Please give your views!
Read moreSmall-scale fisheries: Caught between the devil and the deep blue growth?
The idea of the blue economy, presented on the international stage at Rio+20, has led to a surge in interest for achieving 'blue growth'. The idea of blue growth has led to different interpretations, including the EU's Blue Growth Strategy and the FAO's Blue Growth Initiative. For the small-scale sector these efforts to achieve blue growth offer both opportunities and risks. The policy implications need to be considered further so that small-scale fishers can play a proactive role in shaping blue growth reforms and investments.
Read moreThe growth of fishmeal production in Mauritania: The implications for regional food security
Workers sorting small-pelagic fish for processing into fishmeal, Nouadhibou. Photo by Francisco Mari.
Since 2010, the number of fishmeal factories in Mauritania has increased from 6 to 23, with most of these situated in the Northern port of Nouadhibou. Analysis of the fish being caught to supply these factories published in a recent paper provides a new insight into the regional migration of small-pelagic fish, casting some doubt on previous theories that have informed regional management advice. The government of Mauritania encouraged new investments in local fishmeal production in the belief this would target underexploited stocks of coastal species, with no overall impact on the availability of fish for direct human consumption. Yet there is now concern that the factories are relying on a different species, the round sardinella, which is a staple food in West Africa, but is now considered over-exploited by the FAO’s working group monitoring small-pelagic fish stocks in the region.
Read moreA Swiss Bank and a Billion Dollar Tuna Fishing Company in Mozambique
Here we provide an extended analysis of the highly controversial investment of 850 million dollars in a tuna fishing company in Mozambique, highlighting what this saga means for current debates on domesticating commercial fisheries in Africa, and also about the performance of development aid.
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