By Loretta B Manele
Partnership and cooperation have been stressed as vital components for fisheries management in the region and more broadly, globally.
Dr Darius Campbell, Secretary of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission took the opportunity to share how global partnerships work towards fisheries management during the Honiara Summit on SDG 14.4 “Achieving Sustainable Fisheries” late last month.
He explained that the regional fisheries body, Secretariat for Networks comprised of about 50 inter-governmental organizations covers all of the regions and areas like deep-sea, pelagic fishing, tuna and inland lake fishing as well as providing advice and legal binding measures.
Campbell said while each of their members reflect very different social, economic and environmental circumstances of their regions and the priorities of their member states, for them SDG 14.4 is really business as usual.
“We’re already working in partnership to share information on ecosystem-based fisheries management, on climate change, on sharing operational data with each other, where our parties have allowed that.
So, we do have a focus around the globe tackling issues such as illegal fishing that we can again do through our partnerships”
Moreover, Campbell expressed that he is glad to see how discussions in the Pacific reflect the understanding that is at the heart of all the Sustainable Development Goals and not just on SDG 14.4.
“And not even just SDG 14 on life underwater, but on food security, on health, on nutrition, on land and water use, on employment and on gender roles and processes, etc.”
Campbell highlighted that as fisheries bodies they can’t cover all these aspects so they work in cooperation with other members in the region and across sectors.
He said one example is of that the Regional Secretariat’s network that has had two regional consultations, one in the Western Indian Ocean and one in the Eastern Central Atlantic.
Campbell stated that through this cooperation, all of the fisheries bodies in these regions were involved along with key players like the Southern African Development Community or the Economic Community of West African States.
“These meetings have tackled the sort of what, why, who and how of dealing with fisheries issues of common interest in the region, particularly overlaps and species and working out practical partnerships to deal with this.”
Campbell mentioned that fisheries bodies also have a central role in conservation, both as users of the environment and as managers of human impacts.
He said they have good monitoring and control systems, scientific capacity and can put measures in place for the long-term biodiversity benefits alongside sustainable use.
Campbell stated that another example of cross-sectorial cooperation is under the Convention on Biological Diversity and Sustainable Ocean Initiative.
He said under this cooperation, there have been meetings of about 25 regional fisheries bodies and regional seas conventions since 2016.
“We’ve been meeting to talk about our respective strengths and competencies in protection of biodiversity and in management of resources.
This has been a very effective way of collaboration on biodiversity issues and also has included a regional focus, so my Pacific brothers and sisters have also been really reactive in the Sustainable Ocean Initiative.”
He explained that in terms of how they operate as any governmental organization, it’s usually that one or another country leads a new initiative or partnership hence member states have the right of initiative.
However, also mentioned is that as individuals, secretaries and other members of the organisational secretariat, they also have a role to lead and engage with others, look for links, opportunities and to develop partnerships.
He pointed out that the bottom line is that they all have an individual responsibility and opportunities to initiate and to lead cooperation at every level.
Campbell furthered that in some regions, capacity and resources limit actions whereas in other places, all the elements are in place to do what is needed but there is lack of political will.
“So, I would say to those who are represented here at the highest levels in government, we in the fisheries bodies are willing and able and we look to you to help us deliver the real solution for your priorities.”
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