OPENING SPEECH
delivered by
Mr. Gilbert Mensah
Director of Fisheries, Benin
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DEAR GUESTS:
We are particularly honoured to host this first seminar for West African fisheries officials on the important question of migrant fisherman. This meeting is also important in that it constitutes a precise - and certainly precious - attempt to transmit a certain number of research findings to those who are responsible for the application of development policies in the area. This meeting has therefore the intent of providing a valuable setting for exchange and synergy based on the acknow-ledged fact that our fisheries are interdependent, not only on an environmental and biological level, but also from the point of view of social and economic exchanges.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
The round table of experts on West African fisheries migrations which took place in Kokrobite (Ghana) a year ago, has considerably increased our knowledge of these kinds of movements, though there still remain a certain number of points requiring closer examination.
One could perhaps start by intimating that the secret behind the vitality of African canoe fisheries may well lie in its flexibility and continuance as well as in the historical role played by migrations, which go back to the 5th century at least, in their evolution and consolidation. Even today, on the strength of this formidable heritage, West African marine fishermen daily brave the sea, fate and frontiers.
As we will most certainly see in the course of this seminar, the studies presently available on fishermen's migrations cover a significant number of themes, in particular their extent in both quantitative and qualitative terms, their range, patterns, impact and variations ; both on national, sub-regional and regional levels.
The participants at the Kokrobite meeting came to the conclusion that the migrant fishermen have, on the whole, a mainly positive impact on the evolution of the fisheries.
They tend to create new possibilities of employment and income both in the host countries and in their countries of origin, and are active agents in the diffusion of technology and new fishing methods. In certain cases, their presence can serve as a pretext for friction or conflicts. However, it should no doubt be possible to minimize these conflicts, by identifying the true causes and by establishing appropriate rules and measures to deal with it. That is why the Round Table in Kokrobite judged it absolutely necessary to seriously inform the governments of the region on the importance of fishermen's migrations. Such information is essential to increase our ability to manage national fisheries.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
The objective of this seminar that I have the honour to inaugurate today, is thus linked to a desire to improve the position of fishery administrators and decision-makers faced with the question of fisheries migrations in West Africa. In spite of the availability of the interesting scientific reports and documents published on the subject, it would seem that direct dialogue between national fisheries officers is an irreplaceable element in the setting-up of liable standards of management. That is the actual purpose of our presence here today and the main aim of this seminar.
The second aim of this meeting is to obtain the points of view of the governments and acquire better understanding of the considerations behind them.
Closely connected to this is the third aim of the seminar which is to identify the governmental policies applied to migrant fishermen and artisanal fishermen in general, and evaluate the context of their application.
The underlying goal of the seminar as a whole is, of course, to be able to formulate suggestions and conclusions as expressed by official government representatives. Combined with the information presented at Kokrobite, these could then serve as a basis for IDAF and FAO to formulate a common reference framework for governmental policies in the region.
Wishing you all a fruitful session, I reiterate my welcome and hope you will have a pleasant stay in Benin.
