Representative in Côte d'Ivoire Attaher Maiga (on the right) delivers lifejacket to Côte d'Ivoire Landings Coordinator Dedi Séraphin ©FAO/1 August 2023

Locodjro/Rome, 1 August – The Minister of Animal and Fishery Resources, Mr Sidi Tiémoko Touré, presided over the opening of the artisanal fishing season after a month-long biological rest period at the Mohammed VI Landing in the coastal town of Locodjro.

Also on hand was Mr Attaher Maïga, the FAO Representative in Côte d'Ivoire, who offered a batch of life jackets and jumpers to the small-scale fishermen as they set out to fish at sea.

The donation was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Coastal Fisheries Initiative in West Africa (CFI-WA) and the project Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries (SSF SIDA).

The importance of biological rest

Small-scale fisheries make up 68% of marine catches around the world and close to 500 million people depend on them for their jobs and livelihoods. It is therefore essential to preserve marine resources, for example through biological rest periods to give fish species time to reproduce.

This is the case of Côte d'Ivoire, where the Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources (MIRAH) has established fishing closure periods for the year 2023 in three phases:  January 1 to March 13 for tuna, July 1-31 for artisanal fishers and July 1 to August 31 for semi-industrial and industrial vessels.

The Minister indicated that closed fishing seasons will be imposed "every year, because in Côte d'Ivoire fish is the number one source of animal protein and annual consumption is greater than 20 kg per capita”.

National production, he notes, is “between 70 000 and 100 000 tonnes per year, against annual demand of 650 000 tonnes”. In addition, “fishing generates nearly 100 000 direct jobs and supports over 580 000 people”.

The post-capture sector makes up about 82% of fishing-related activities in the country, he said, pointing out that artisanal fisheries contribute 60 to 75% to national fish production and employ 65% of fishers and fish workers, 70% of whom are women.

“National maritime fishing production fell from 69 769 tonnes in 2003 to 42 738 tonnes in 2020, i.e., a drop of 38.75%. To meet demand, the State resorts to massive imports because domestic production only covers 18% of the country's needs,” the Minister added.

Mr Maïga, the FAO Representative, hailed the reopening of the small-scale fishing season.

“We welcome this government measure aimed at preserving fishery resources. We hope this measure becomes sustainable over time, because biological rest periods need to be observed every year,” he noted.

“We’re happy because we know that thanks to biological rest, we will gain a lot of merchandise,” commented Ms Kra Gisèle, a fishmonger and seafood processor in Locodjro.

About CFI-WA

CFI-WA covers Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal. The Initiative works with stakeholders and local authorities to strengthen fisheries governance and management and improve the seafood value chain and working conditions, with a focus on empowering women. It is implemented by FAO in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

About SSF SIDA

The SSF SIDA project is led by FAO and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) with the aim of creating an enabling environment that can ensure the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.