The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the European Union (EU), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), hosted about 100 experts to discuss and draw a road map for a sustainable management of the fisheries resources of the ECOWAS maritime domain.
The program tagged ‘Improved Regional Fisheries Governance in Western Africa (PESCAO)’ is funded by the European Union (EU), FAO provides technical support while, experts are representatives of the Directors of Fisheries and aquaculture, research institute, development partners, non-state actors, European Union, African Union, USAID, and FAO.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Fred Kafeero, who was represented by the Head of FAO Nigeria, Northeast Office, Mr Al Hassan Cisse described the workshop as a means to give deserved level of visibility to the PESCAO program.
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He added that the state of fisheries in the ECOWAS region is complex and varies depending on the country and the sub-region, while commending the (EU) and other partners for the support in promoting sustainable fisheries development in West Africa.
The program officer, Regional Co-operation Section of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, and ECOWAS, Urszula Solkiewicz, said the three day regional meeting will enable the policy makers to meet the scientists in order to discuss what has been delivered and how those results should be later utilized at the national and regional level.
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She explained that a typical marine ecosystem is a complicated network of natural populations keep changing due to unpredictable meteorological and marine environments, and that livelihood and incomes depend on how one is able to manage this complex environment.
According to her, providing practical and science-based approaches is extremely important to guide the decision makers, adding that those that would manage the resources must have adequate knowledge of the ecosystems and the fishery to allow them to respond in management actions.
