Report of the Workshop on the Management of Shared Small Pelagic Fishery Resources in Northwest Africa

ISSN 0429-9337

ISBN 92-5-004814-9

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© FAO 2002

PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

The workshop on the management of shared stocks was funded by project GCP/INT/730/NOR: International cooperation with the Nansen Programme: Fisheries Management and Marine Environment, the Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Norway and organized by FAO in Banjul, the Gambia, from 30 April to 3 May 2002. Two case studies were discussed - Sardinella and Horse Mackerel.

The main objective of the workshop was to agree on the mechanism to improve regional cooperation in the development and management of the small-pelagic fisheries (Northwest Africa Region), to make all partners conscious of what will be necessary to manage jointly shared stocks and to explore possible ways of how sustainable management of shared stocks can be achieved. Another objective was to suggest the way forward for a regional management system for the adoption and implementation of fisheries management and exploitation options aimed at ensuring optimal and sustainable use of small pelagic fish resources for the benefit of coastal countries.

Twenty five participants from the Gambia, Ghana, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Norway, FAO and in addition two representatives from Regional Fisheries Bodies (SRFC and ATLAFCO), attended the meeting.

A first editing of the report was made by Annick Van Houte, Henning Teigene and Ana Maria Caramelo from FAO HQ. We are grateful to Marie-Thérèse Magnan and Merete Tandstad for their assistance in the final editing of this document.

Distribution:

Participants in the Workshop/Participants à l'Atelier

NORAD/Oslo
FAO Regional Fishery Officers /Fonctionnaires des pêches des Bureaux régionaux de la FAO

FAO Fisheries Department/Département des pêches de la FAO
Research Institutes of Fisheries in Mauritania, Morocco, the Gambia and Senegal/ Instituts de recherche halieutique en Mauritanie, au Maroc, en Gambie et au Sénégal

Ministery of Fisheries in Mauritania, Morocco, the Gambia and Senegal/Ministère des pêches en Mauritanie, au Maroc, en Gambie et au Sénégal

1. INTRODUCTION

The Workshop on the Management of Shared Small Pelagic Fishery Resources in Northwest Africa was held in Banjul, the Gambia, from 30 April to 3 May 2002. The overall objective of the workshop was to examine the implications of national and joint management of shared stocks using Sardinella sp. and Trachurus sp. as case studies, to explore possible ways of how sustainable management of shared stocks can be achieved and to suggest the way forward for a regional management system for the adoption and implementation of fisheries management and exploitation options aimed at ensuring optimal and sustainable use of small pelagic fish resources for the benefit of coastal countries.

The meeting was funded by project GCP/INT/730/NOR "International cooperation with the Nansen Programme: Fisheries Management and Marine Environment", Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Norway and organized by the FAO.

Altogether 25 participants (Appendix I) from the Gambia, Ghana, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Norway and the FAO and in addition two representatives from Regional Fisheries Bodies (SRFC and ATLAFCO)^[1], attended the meeting. The agenda, the coordinators and the reporters of the different sessions are listed in Appendix II.

The Workshop was opened by Ms Fatou Jassey Kuyateh, Permanent Secretary of the Department of State for Fisheries, Natural Resources and the Environment and the FAO Representative in the Gambia who welcomed the participants in the name of the Director General of the FAO.

1.1 Terms of reference

The terms of reference for the workshop, established in Bergen during the meeting of the Nansen Programme Steering Committee for Northwest Africa in June 2001, were as follows:

1. Create awareness among all partners on the need and potential benefits of improved management of shared stocks

2. Identify the requirements and mechanisms for sustainable management of shared stocks within the region

3. Examine alternative approaches and institutional arrangements to facilitate the implementation of the preferred mechanisms.

1.2 Structure of the report

A separate section is devoted to each of the main subject matters dealt with during the various workshop sessions. For each of these, there is a small summary of the papers presented and of the main points focused on during the discussions.

The sessions concentrated on the following subject matters:

1. Small pelagic fishery resources

2. Why cooperation is called for in the management of shared stocks

3. Cooperation in research on fish stocks

4. An overview of existing cooperation arrangements for management of fisheries in Northwest Africa

5. Two case studies of existing international arrangements for cooperation in fisheries management in countries other than the countries in Northwest Africa

6. Possible options for cooperation in the management and conservation of shared fish stocks in Northwest Africa.

2. SMALL PELAGIC FISHERY RESOURCES

Mr A. Mendy presented an "Overview of fisheries in the region, including current knowledge on the status of shared stocks". The overview was based on reports of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagics off Northwest Africa covering sardine, sardinellas, horse mackerel, false scad and mackerel which migrate along the coastline from Morocco to Guinea. Outlines of the fisheries of the Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco were presented together with biological information regarding distribution, spawning, and migration patterns. The fluctuations of the size of the major stocks were highlighted and comments were made on the impact of the fisheries and the environment.

Mr B. Samb introduced the paper "Case Study: Sardinella in Northwest Africa". Sardinella comprise the round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and the flat sardinella (S. maderensis). In Senegal, sardinellas are caught mainly by the artisanal fishery, whereas in Mauritania the fishery for these two species was mainly industrial. The two main nursery areas were to the south of Cap Blanc in Mauritania and to the south of Cap Vert in Senegal. The "R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen" surveys contributed substantially to knowledge on fluctuations in abundance. It was noted that the total catch in the region had dropped below 500 000 t over the last three years. Catch per unit of effort in the EU-fishery in Mauritania suggested a reduction in stock in this area. This information, combined with the prospects of poor recruitment, should justify keeping the TAC no higher than 500 000 t.

Mr S. Ben Cherifi presented the case study on horse mackerels. Horse mackerel comprise the Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), the Cunene horse mackerel (T. trecae), and the false scad (Caranx rhonchus). Their migration patterns and reproductive seasons were described. Fluctuations in abundance were observed in the catch per unit of effort and in the surveys. There appeared to have been a decline in abundance in 2001. Due to uncertainties in assessment, a precautionary approach towards their management was advised, so as to maintain a sustainable spawning stock.

Discussions and conclusions

Following the three presentations there were discussions on the accuracy of the abundance assessments of the five main stocks (two sardinella and three horse mackerel) under consideration at this workshop. Discussions also focused on the different impact of artisanal and industrial fisheries, the precautionary approach to management, the need for cooperation in research, what extend was shared, and environmental issues. There was some doubt about whether the stocks were in a stable condition, or showing a downward trend.

Recommendations

There was agreement that the conclusions of earlier working groups, about the need to prevent an increase in effort of the Petite Côte small pelagics fishery, should be taken into account. In order to ensure that management followed the precautionary approach, it was agreed that the basis for setting the upper limit of allowable annual catch of small pelagics in the subregion should not exceed the average annual catch during the past five years. The need for age readings of fish from the catches, and intensification of fish research was emphasized. This research should be carried out not only by scientists from outside the region, but also by scientists of the coastal countries. This could be encouraged by the holding of more working groups of scientists. This would also contribute to the enhanced cooperation of coastal countries in the management of their migrating stocks.

3. THE NEED OF COOPERATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SHARED STOCKS

Two presentations were made on the need for cooperation for shared stocks management. They were followed by discussions concerning the problems of small pelagics management in West Africa as an example of shared stocks at a subregional level.

Ms A. Van Houtte made a presentation on Shared Stocks Cooperation - International Legal Framework. First, she reminded participants that the identification of a legal framework represents a first step towards the definition of a dialogue mechanism on shared stocks management. After presenting the factors which define the shared stocks concept, Ms Van Houtte gave a short outline of the relevant provisions in the Law of the Sea Convention (more specifically Item 63, Sub-paragraph 1) and of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Items 6, 7 and 12). She pointed out that the Code of Conduct refers to "migrating stocks" with an emphasis on the unit of stocks in the whole distribution area. She noted the existing regional framework (Ministerial Conference and CSRP), which though still under-equipped, is a testimony to the willingness for cooperation. She concluded her presentation by highlighting several challenges arising in fishery cooperation such as: raising participants' awareness; the search for long-term financial resources; training and promotion of activities.

Mr R. Willmann made a presentation on "Cooperative versus non-cooperative management arrangements: biological, economic and social implications" based upon a paper by Gordon Munro (circulated in the workshop in English and French).

Shared fishery resources are defined by the FAO, and others, to include: (i) fishery resources crossing the EEZ boundary of one coastal state into the EEZs of one or more other coastal states; (ii) fishery resources to be found, both within the coastal state EEZ and within the adjacent high seas; and (iii) fishery resources to be found exclusively in the high seas. There is evidence that shared small pelagic species in Northwest Africa belong to class (i) resources as defined in Article 63, Sub-paragraph 1 of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In view of the migratory nature of these resources, there was clearly a need for cooperation among the involved countries in their management. In this regard, the countries have already made a lot of progress in what John Gulland has named the primary level of cooperation that is in management-oriented research on stock abundance and exploitation level, migration and biological characteristics of the various small pelagic species. In actual cooperative management regimes, which have proven to be successful, cooperation in research is often seen, in retrospect, to have been the precursor to cooperation in active joint management. This latter secondary level of cooperation is much more demanding as it would usually involve:

1. Determination of an optimal management strategy through time
2. Allocation of harvest shares among the participating coastal states
3. Implementation and enforcement of coordinated management agreements.

Mr R. Willmann then explained the value of applying game theoretical considerations in both analyzing the consequences of non-cooperation and in designing robust cooperation arrangements. Past evidence in various fisheries around the world has provided the stark lesson that in the absence of cooperation, shared fish stocks are doomed to become overexploited or even severely depleted with potentially dramatic economic, social and nutritional impacts on the countries concerned. This is entirely in conformity with game theoretical reasoning, specifically with the expected outcome of the so-called Prisoner's Dilemma Game.

Conversely, the theory of cooperative games points to a number of requirements that need to be fulfilled to arrive at a stable and robust joint management regime. These include: (i) it is not be possible to find an alternative management arrangement, which is capable of making all "players" better off; (ii) all parties/countries are better off with the cooperative arrangement than without it; and (iii) the arrangement must be "time consistent", i.e. flexible enough to withstand the shocks of unexpected and unpredictable changes through time. The latter is especially important in the case of small pelagic species whose abundance and geographical distribution can be subject to large variability. In respect to all three requirements, Mr Willmann stressed, with reference to Gordon Munro's work on that topic, the importance of so-called side payments. These are benefits from the shared resources that are not derived from the harvesting activities of a country's fleet(s) within its own EEZ but through beneficial monetary or in-kind transfers to the country from one or several of the other countries.

Discussions and conclusions

The discussions made it possible to specify the concept of "shared stocks" and at the same time to confirm that the stocks of small pelagics that cross the EEZ of the four countries are actually shared. This term refers to the same fish stocks which are found and move in the EEZ of several coastal states. The extent of the obligation expressed in Article 63, Sub-paragraph 1 of the Law of the Sea Convention was discussed and clarified.

All the representatives of the four countries in the Workshop expressed the political goodwill of their countries for a concerted management of pelagic resources. According to the speakers, it is necessary to differentiate between 'simple' management measures (protection of nurseries, spawning grounds, fishing gear regulation, etc.) and those relating to quota allocation by country, which are much more complex and require further research. According to participants the complexity of the implementation of quotas system should not prevent the countries concerned from setting up a quota distribution system which should be in place before the resources reach a critical state (overexploitation).

Recommendations

1. It will be necessary to implement an adequate management system specific to pelagic fisheries; to develop the studies and activities undertaken by scientists; to reinforce countries capacities and to involve professionals in the implementation of a management system.

2. Whatever cooperation mechanism is selected, it should be flexible enough to overcome moments of crisis (lower stocks). It must have a consistency of agreement in time, and for this reason it must be flexible, making it possible to adapt to fluctuations in the pelagic resources.

3. The Working Group should not consider a management system limited only to TAC, but should rather study and implement other access control parameters (capacity of fishing) if necessary. Research should evaluate the optimum capacity levels corresponding to TAC.

4. Since the quantities of fish caught by foreign fleets are not always known, it is recommended that an effort be made to obtain this type of information. This could be done by combining the information collected by all researchers, particularly the catch of national and foreign fleets fishing in the EEZ of the countries concerned.

4. COOPERATION IN RESEARCH OF FISH STOCKS

4.1 Exchange of information and data amongst parties that share stocks

In the search for a model on the exchange of information and data amongst the four countries that share stocks in Northwest Africa, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea's (ICES) experience in sharing information and data was presented by Mr E. Bakken to the participants. The experience emphasizes on the one hand the need for independent advice and on the other the need for cooperation in sharing responsibility for generating data and information amongst national research institutions. ICES provides independent advice to the EU and other countries, including Norway. More specifically with regard to research, the national research institutes of ICES member countries nominate active scientists who constitute the scientific working groups within ICES. The ICES' working groups receive inputs from the respective scientists and process them into recommendations that are submitted to the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management of ICES as management advice. The working groups also provide a forum for planning research and pooling data to compile as much data as possible on targeted stocks. The compiled data is further processed into a database that can be accessed when required. The working groups maintain a system of quality control that entails the comparing and checking of submitted data and information. Within ICES the working group assessments have been maintained as an appropriate source of reference information for member countries. This experience indicates that the FAO Working Group on Small Pelagics off Northwest Africa can also be a good source of data and information required for managing the shared small pelagic stocks in the subregion.

4.2 Information, data, statistics exchange and confidentiality

Mr H. Teigene made a presentation on the cooperation of management of shared small pelagic stocks that requires the exchange of fisheries related data on the stocks. This is recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ("the Convention") adopted in 1982, which in its Article 61.5 states the obligation to contribute and exchange "available" and "relevant" data.

The obligation to collect the necessary data is not elaborated on in the Convention, but such an obligation is clearly implied. Neither does the Convention elaborate on what kind of data should be included under the obligation other than the reference to "scientific information", "catch and effort statistics" and "other data".

Thus an agreement on cooperation on conservation and management should develop further rules regarding the duty of the parties to collect and exchange relevant data.

The voluntary FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries has more extensive provisions on information gathering and exchange than the Convention, and can offer guidance to and encourage countries in the subregion to exchange information on shared stocks.

Data from the fishing industry collected in databases may need to be treated as confidential, either because this is commercially confidential data or because it contains personal data. If these kinds of data need to be exchanged in a non-aggregated form, e.g. because of lack of capacity to compile it, measures must be taken to maintain the confidentiality of the data.

Information collected within the jurisdiction of the State and compiled in national databases may be considered as the property of the State, but this is not as such a matter of confidentiality, and such data is of course also subject to the obligation to exchange data, if relevant.

4.3 Future cooperation in research

Ms A.M. Caramelo made a presentation on "Future cooperation in research in the region".

Discussions and Recommendations

More data are collected by the research institutions, but the reliability of the data and the increasing cost of collecting them are of great concern to the decision-makers.

There was consensus among the participants to strengthen research capabilities along with the following:

1. Fisheries biologists should continue to exchange information, meet at least once a year to examine the state of the stocks and provide advice to fisheries administrations on management measures

2. Joint surveys on recruitment should be conducted by scientists in the subregion using national research vessels

3. Data on the distribution of small pelagics from acoustic surveys should be available for the whole subregion

4. Biological information on spawning, nurseries, feeding areas and fishing seasons should be investigated

5. Appropriate sampling programmes for fishing vessels, statistical rectangles for catch data and age reading methods for small pelagics should be identified and adopted by researchers in the respective institutions

6. Scientists should urgently identify research priorities and seek national budgetary allocations to sustain long-term research, considering that the current funding through FAO and the NORAD funded Nansen Project are only secure for three years and one year respectively.

With regard to the exchange of data, such as catch and effort statistics, participants concurred with the view that countries should make efforts to collect relevant data from the fishing industry, whether national or foreign, and compile them together with the data and evaluations from the research activities in order to establish appropriate management measures for the conservation of the small pelagic stocks in Northwest Africa.

5. OVERVIEW OF EXISTING COOPERATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES IN NORTHWEST AFRICA

Ms A. Van Houtte presented a review of the current regional and subregional fisheries management arrangements in order to facilitate the discussion concerning the establishment of a subregional mechanism for cooperation in the management and conservation of small pelagic stocks shared between the four countries participating in the Nansen Programme. She examined whether existing subregional and regional instruments could constitute an appropriate forum for ensuring such cooperation in an effective and flexible manner or whether the adoption of a new instrument should be recommended. Reference was also made to the important number of bilateral agreements in place between the interested countries. She noted that current subregional fisheries arrangements bear certain characteristics and elements that could cause obstacles for an efficient and flexible management of the shared small pelagic stocks. With the exception of CECAF, none of the other arrangements had the four countries in question as contracting parties. She felt that a new, simple and flexible instrument was more likely (i) to meet the needs and concerns of the four participating countries, and (ii) to enhance and further the work undertaken so far within the framework of the Nansen Programme. Ms A. Van Houtte concluded her presentation by pointing out some main points to be considered such as species to be covered, membership, functions, consultative mechanisms, funding, collaboration with existing regional and subregional instruments, etc.

Discussions

Before entering into the merits of the discussion, a few participants recalled and provided updated information regarding existing regional and bilateral arrangements.

The need for a new instrument for the management of the shared small pelagic stocks in the subregion was discussed in view of the numerous arrangements available to address cooperation in management. The participants acknowledged the value of each of the arrangements in the subregion and concluded that there was a need for a new instrument for the management of the shared small pelagic stocks among the four countries participating in the Nansen Programme. It was also pointed out that such a new arrangement could eventually in the future be integrated in an existing organization, should the consultative mechanism in place be strengthened and cooperation between the contracting parties improved for better management of the small pelagic stocks. Reference was made for instance to CECAF. Participants were also informed that the CECAF Committee had abolished its four subsidiary bodies and agreed to have a simpler structure consisting of the Committee and the Scientific Sub-Committee. They were further informed that in the ambit of the directives of COFI and the FAO Conference Resolution of 1997, possible options for a new structure of CECAF were still under discussion.

Recommendations

The proposal was finally put forward to have a simple structure articulated around a scientific working group or committee and a management meeting to create a consultation mechanism for the management of small pelagic stocks between the countries participating in the Nansen Programme. The details thereof were left for discussion in session 7.

6. TWO CASE STUDIES OF EXISTING INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR COOPERATION IN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE COUNTRIES IN NORTHWEST AFRICA

6.1 Herring in the North Sea

Mr E. Bakken presented the paper "A shared stock - the case of herring in the North Sea". The paper describes the process leading up to the current international management regime on the shared stock of herring between the EU and Norway. The fact that it was a shared stock was agreed upon based on a report from ICES on the distribution of the stock. During the negotiations the zonal attachment principle was used as a basis for determining ownership rights and weighting of the criteria of zonal attachment of the stock was discussed. The agreed method was to divide the TAC between the countries based on the occurrence of the fishable part of the stock, and it's proportional distribution in the EEZs. When the scientists were faced with the problem of deciding the amount of adult fish occurring in each zone, the dynamic nature of the herring stock presented a challenge. When the biomass of the stock is large the amount of adult fish present in the Norwegian EEZ is greater than in years with a small biomass. After lengthy deliberations and failed negotiations between the parties, the scientists presented a sliding scale which took into consideration the dynamic nature of the distribution of the stock. Initially the distribution was described using research data from 1974-1978, but these data did not reflect the dynamic nature of the stock, and the data finally used were a fairly complete set of catch data from the Dutch Herring fleet from the mid sixties, a time when the EEZs were not yet established, thus allowing the Dutch fleet to harvest the stock following it's natural distribution. There was a slight modification of share allocated to Norway and the EU as a result of biological as well as socio-economic concerns in the EU fishery of juveniles, and as a trade -off Norway has been allocated 29 per cent of the TAC of adult fish whereas the EU gets 100% of the TAC established especially for Herring juveniles in a mixed fishery by trawl.

6.2 Agreement on capelin between Greenland, Iceland and Norway

Mr T. Moldskred introduced the paper "Management of shared stocks" presenting the trilateral agreement between Iceland, Greenland and Norway on the shared stock of capelin. The objective of the agreement is the preservation and management of the stock, and to this end it includes provisions on the determining of the annual TAC and the sharing of the TAC into country quotas. The TAC is based on scientific and management advice from ICES. Furthermore the agreement deals with transfer of quotas to other parties, duty to report catch of the stock to the other parties to the agreement, satellite tracking systems, and cooperation on scientific research. The principle of mutual access to fish the EEZ of other parties is also included in the agreement, but further rules need to be established in bilateral agreements. The Agreement also gives access to landing of catch in each others ports.

Discussion

There was reference to the importance of sovereignty over the EEZ.

In the examples given the decisions on allocations of national proportions of the TAC were not influenced by issues concerning other elements such as trade or market access; however, in the case of Herring, decisions could be affected by parties increasing their fishing of juveniles in the bycatch of associated multispecies fishing.

The importance of ad hoc or more permanent working groups was emphasized so that research results, assessment and proposed catch options could be used for assisting in the management of shared stocks.

The discussion included details of criteria for allocation of catch from shared stocks. Clarification was given of the role of ICES working groups in providing advice on the state of a stock, setting the annual TAC, and options for management. It was observed that the managers and politicians often adopted the option which would permit an increase over the TAC recommended by scientists. The nature of the working groups of ICES were explained, and how these have developed from species-based to ecosystem-based working groups.

Experience from Northern Europe indicates that costs of research covered by each country are roughly proportional to the economic interests in the stock.

Mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the agreed national quotas were debated, and the importance of trust was recognized as well as the need for cooperation on the exchange of catch figures.

Based on experience from Northern Europe it was recognized that better fishing patterns (targeting adults) may be promoted through international agreements such as licensing agreements.

It was observed that the solutions presented during the first half of the day were too complex and elaborate for the countries of Northwest Africa, and that there is presently a lack of capacity to implement such elaborate agreements. It was recognized that the examples given are the result of decades of cooperation and that the countries of Northwest Africa are in the process of capacity building.

The participation of scientists from countries without a direct interest in the stock was also discussed. This is regarded as an advantage as the risk of the advice being biased towards national interests is lessened.

Recommendation

It was recommended that experienced scientists from outside the region should be invited to participate in the scientific working group on small pelagics.

Recognizing the need for capacity building and the need to strengthen management institutions, the importance of developing management mechanisms for small pelagics was emphasized.

7. OPTIONS FOR COOPERATION IN THE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF SHARED FISH STOCKS IN NORTHWEST AFRICA

7.1 Sharing of costs and benefits of cooperative management

The first presentation on "Sharing of Costs and Benefits of Cooperative Management" was given by Mr R. Willmann. He first recalled the requirements to achieve a stable cooperative management arrangement, specifically that (i) every country should be better off with cooperation than without it; (ii) the outcome of cooperation should be perceived as fair and equitable; and (iii) the above conditions (i) and (ii) need to hold over time (time consistency). He then listed the major benefits to be expected from cooperative management including 1) to optimise the economic, social and nutritional contribution of the small pelagic resources to the countries and people of the region; 2) to avoid the collapse or depletion of the small pelagic resources, and 3) to improve knowledge about the small pelagic resources and associated ecosystem.

Regarding the costs of cooperative management, these were likely to increase as progress is made in moving from the primary level of cooperation, namely research and assessment work, to the crucial secondary level of joint management where decisions had to be taken on total allowable catch, effort and/or fishing capacity and its allocation among the participating countries. This secondary level of cooperation would likely involve additional costs in the areas of (i) decision-making (e.g. stakeholder consultations, preparation of fisheries management plans at national and regional levels), (ii) management plan implementation and enforcement (e.g. putting in place regulations, seeking cooperation from industry and fishers, monitoring, control and surveillance) and (iii) evaluation of management regime (e.g. assessment whether objectives have been reached, and if not, investigating reasons for not meeting targets and measures for improvements).

In reference to earlier presentations, especially the case studies from the North Atlantic, Mr Willmann then presented various options for the sharing of benefits among the participating countries. These could be based on (i) solely the harvesting opportunities of the national fleet(s) within a country's EEZ, (ii) harvesting opportunities of all fleets throughout the EEZs of participating countries, (iii) various kinds of side payments (monetary, in-kind, market access, etc.), or (iv) combinations of the above options (i) - (iii).

One of the most critical and, based on experience from other regions, most difficult to agree upon decision relates to the criteria to be employed in the allocation of harvesting opportunities (i.e. catch, effort or capacity quotas) among the participating countries. Various options were listed, including 1) the distribution of the "fishable" part of the stocks over the EEZs of the participating countries; 2) historical catches in the EEZs of the participating countries; 3) historical level of deployment/size of harvesting capacities in the EEZs of the participating countries; and 4) various other factors such as, for example, the contribution of small pelagic catches to domestic food fish supply, the number of people engaged in the fisheries, etc.). A fifth option could comprise a combination of the above criteria with certain weights attached to each of them.

With regard to the sharing of the costs of cooperative management, it was noted that there were principally two approaches, one of which was to agree that each country would cover its own management costs (e.g. for research, management plan preparation, MCS, attendance of joint working group meetings, etc.), while the other approach could be that each country made a certain contribution into a common fund. Obviously, a third option would be a combination of the two. A difficulty could be that the available resources and capacities within the countries varied as well as the costs involved in, for example, monitoring and enforcing harvesting limits because of differences in the fleet structures of the participating countries.

7.2 Observations on Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) for Management

The aerial and vessel control and surveillance activities in relation to the fishing zones demarcated through the respective fisheries laws and regulations were presented by Mr G. Everett. Encroachment of large fishing vessels into inshore fishing zones, inspection of fishing gears and catches and transhipment at sea were identified as major problem areas for the institutions that are entrusted with managing fisheries resources in the subregion.

7. 3 Alternative cooperative management mechanisms

A draft scheme (Appendix III) for cooperation in the conservation and management of small pelagic stocks shared among the four countries participating in the Nansen Programme (i.e. the Gambia, Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal) was proposed to the participants by Ms A. Van Houtte. It was largely based on the discussions which had taken place during the previous sessions of the Workshop. The scope of the mechanism would be limited to the small pelagic stocks which occur within the exclusive economic zones of the relevant coastal states and are thus shared among the 4 countries.

The system proposed was articulated around two main pillars: a scientific working group, composed of scientists from the national fisheries institutes and a management meeting. The scientific working group would issue recommendations on status of catch, TAC, management options etc. to the high level consultation which in turn would endorse management measures. Possible functions, terms of reference, working modalities, meetings, delegations and duties of the States were laid down in the scheme.

Discussions

The participants observed that it was important for the proposed scientific working group to further the work undertaken currently under the Nansen Programme. The group was active, dynamic and highly regarded by the coastal states concerned. They unanimously noted that there was a need to keep the structure simple and straightforward and to avoid lengthy and cumbersome procedures. Participants concurred with the view that meetings of the working group and the high level consultation should be held at least once a year and that in addition the working group should provide mid-term reports to the respective Governments. This would allow for timely information of those responsible for the management and conservation of small pelagic stocks. Some participants expressed concern with regard to the need for external evaluation of the scientific working group assessments and evaluations. The suggestion was made that depending on the future developments of CECAF and the Scientific Sub-Committee, a link could be made with the latter. The role and composition of the high level consultation was also discussed. It was asked whether an advisory management body similar to the ICES Advisory Group on Fisheries Management should not be added in the proposed mechanism. For reasons of simplicity and because the degree of complexity of management measures is likely to be progressive, it was felt that such a body was not needed. Rather the members participating in the high level consultation should have the appropriate qualifications as well as the authority to endorse the management options recommended by the scientific working group. A scientist and representative of the fishing industry should also attend the consultation.

Recommendations

It was recommended that the FAO prepare the draft text of the proposed scheme and that the next Steering Committee of the Nansen Programme discuss the possibility of the Programme providing support to the countries concerned in holding a meeting to finalize and adopt the scheme as an international instrument.

Considering the need for active and competent personnel to effectively conduct the activities envisaged for sustainable management of small pelagics, it was suggested that a plan of accompanying measures, such as capacity building, be formulated and submitted by the FAO to the next Steering Committee of the Programme.

While the scheme goes through the formal stages, it was recommended for participants to sensitise the directors of research institutions on the need for funds to continue the activities of the FAO Working Group on Assessment of Small Pelagic Stocks in Northwest Africa after the present funding ends.

Other matters

The Moroccan and Mauritanian delegations informed the meeting of forthcoming meetings. The first session of the Supreme Council for the Protection of the National Heritage is scheduled for 28th and 29th May in Rabat, Morocco and a workshop on evaluation of fish stocks in Mauritanian waters will be held in December 2002.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministerial Conference briefed the meeting on efforts being undertaken by Gabon, as Chairman of the Conference, on behalf of the regional body to solicit partnership of Norway in its activities. These include institutional strengthening of research institutes in the region and the sensitisation of member countries on the Code of Conduct for responsible Fisheries. They will also request an extension of the Nansen Programme's research activities to other countries that do not presently benefit.

A leading scientist in the formulation of a project on climate variability impact on the availability of stocks informed that the project had been approved by the European Union in January 2002. The project will conduct research on the cause of the disappearance of adult sardines in Moroccan waters in 1997, the variability of biomass of horse mackerel and the appearance of sardines and sardinella in Senegalese and Moroccan waters respectively.

8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The workshop expressed its appreciation of the valuable work undertaken by the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagics in Northwest Africa during the last two years. This work, which was supported by various donors including the Nansen Programme, had improved substantially the knowledge of the abundance and biological characteristics of the small pelagic resources in the Northwest African region. The workshop noted that there was a need for further strengthening of this work and maintaining a high level of resource assessment studies in the coming years and the long-term future. In addition the workshop recognized the need to reinforce the link between the scientists and managers.

Recommendations

1. The work of the current FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagics in Northwest Africa should be furthered and strengthened in order to maintain a high level of resource assessment studies in the coming years and the long-term future. Fisheries biologists should continue to exchange information, meet at least once a year to examine the state of the stocks and provide advice to fisheries administrations on management measures. Joint surveys should be conducted by scientists of the national research institutions in the region using national research vessels.

2. The FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagics in Northwest Africa should consider inviting scientists from outside the region to participate in the Working Group.

3. Fisheries Scientific Institutions should identify research priorities and seek national budgetary allocations to sustain long-term research.

4. A precautionary approach towards the management of small pelagic stocks should be adopted to maintain a sustainable spawning stock. The basis for setting the total allowable catch (TAC) and fishing capacity for the next year should not exceed the average annual catch during the past five years in order to ensure a sustainable and rational exploitation of the small pelagics.

5. Countries should develop national management plans in support of a future joint regional management system.

6. An appropriate regional management system should be established around a scientific working group or committee and a management meeting proposing a scheme for a consultation mechanism between the coastal states sharing small pelagic stocks in North West Africa is attached in Appendix III.

7. FAO should prepare the draft text of the proposed scheme and the next Steering Committee of the Nansen Programme should discuss the possibility of the Programme providing support to the countries concerned in holding a meeting to finalize and adopt the scheme as an international instrument.

8. Considering the need for active and competent personnel to effectively conduct the activities envisaged for sustainable management of small pelagics, it was suggested that a draft outline of a plan of accompanying measures, such as capacity building, be formulated by Mauritania on behalf of the participants in the FAO Working Group in collaboration with Norway and submitted to the next Steering Committee of the Nansen Programme.

9. While the scheme goes through the formal stages, it was recommended that participants sensitise their respective Governments on the need for funds to continue the activities which are currently undertaken by the FAO Working Group on Assessment of Small Pelagic Stocks in Northwest Africa after the present funding ends.