CONTENTS

1. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ............................................................................... 1

2. INLAND FISHERIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA .............................. 6

3. MOVING FORWARD: SECURING THE CONTRIBUTION OF INLAND

FISHERIES...................................................................................................... 8

4. KEY TAKE AWAY MESSAGES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF ACP

FISHERIES MINISTERS ............................................................................... 11

5. REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 12

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1. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

1. According to FAO (2019b) statistics, total landings from global capture fisheries

in inland waters amounted to approximately 11.9 million tonnes in 2017,

representing 13% of total capture fisheries (93.6 million tonnes, of which 81.7

million tonnes are landings from marine capture fisheries). As shown in the

following graph, landings from inland capture fisheries tended to moderately

increase since 2000 while landings from marine capture fisheries stagnated,

noting that some of the increase in inland fisheries landings can be attributed to

improved reporting and assessment at country level and may not be entirely

due to increased production. Due to the subsistence and small scale nature of

many inland fisheries, there are still plausible reasons to consider that total

current reported figure may be underestimated, and that total inland fisheries

production may be in the region of 15 million tonnes instead (World Bank, 2012).

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Figure 1: Global trends for inland capture fisheries and marine capture fisheries

productions

Source : data published by FAO (2019b)

2. With almost 8 million tonnes declared landings from inland fisheries in 2017,

Asia leads in terms of production, ahead of Africa with almost 3 million tonnes

landings from inland fisheries. However, inland fisheries production in Africa

represents as much as 31% of total production of capture fisheries, while it is

16% in the case of Asia. By contrast, inland fisheries production in the

Caribbean or in the Pacific is much lower, as logically explained by the

comparatively reduced or inexistent areas of freshwater bodies.

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3. Inland fisheries production in Africa shows a steady increasing trend since 2000.

According to FAO data, Africa inland fisheries production is close to 40 percent

higher than it was in 2000, with an average annual increasing rate of

approximately 2.5 percent per year. The development of inland fisheries

production in Africa largely parallels the development of inland fisheries

production in Asia (see next figure).

Figure 2: Compared evolution of inland fisheries production in Asia and Africa

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Source : data published by FAO (2019b)

4. The next table shows the main producing states separating ACP and non-ACP

states. For non-ACP states, the larger producers are by far China, India and

Bangladesh. For ACP States, the main producers are in Eastern Africa

(Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi) taking advantage of the existence of

the great lakes and associated river basins (25% of the world's unfrozen surface

freshwater), Western Africa (Nigeria, Mali) and Central Africa (RD Congo,

Chad). In semi-arid countries (i.e. Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Somalia), drylands

may sustain very high fish yields in years of good rains, providing opportunities

to improve livelihoods and food security (Kolding et al., 2016). According to

Funge-Smith (2018), some ACP Caribbean states (e.g. Cuba, Dominican

Republic, Jamaica and Haiti) and ACP Pacific states (e.g. Papua New Guinea,

Fiji) also report some amounts of inland fisheries production (e.g. around 1 000

tonnes) which can have some socio-economic importance at local levels. The

economic value of world inland fisheries at first-sale is estimated at USD 26

billion, with USD 5.8 billion for African inland fisheries (22%).

Table 1: Top inland fisheries producers (numbers refer to average 2015-2017 production in tonnes)

Non-ACP top producers ACP top producers

China (2 062 241 t) India (1 467 089 t) Bangladesh (1 078 614 t) Myanmar (879 183 t) Cambodia (508 583 t) Indonesia (457 639 t)

Uganda (391 693 t) Nigeria (378 528 t) Tanzania (317 713 t) RD Congo (229 000 t) Malawi (164 650 t) Kenya (127 428 t) Chad (105 682 t) Mali (100 396 t)

Source: data published by FAO (2019b)

5. Although the majority of inland fisheries are small-scale operations harvesting

for household consumption and local trade or barter, over 10 percent of the

global inland fisheries catch originates from large-scale and commercial

fisheries and the contributions of these fisheries is significant in terms of

livelihoods, food security, and development. Main large-scale and commercial

fisheries in Africa include the Lake Victoria dagaa and Nile perch fisheries

(457 000 t and 200 000 t respectively), Lake Albert muziri and ragoogi light and

Nile perch fisheries (129 000 t and 8 600 t respectively) fishery, the Lake

Tanganika and Lake Kariba kapenta fisheries (52 000 t and 20 000 t

respectively). Through extensive and complex regional export trade, African

lakes small pelafic fisheries make an important contribution to food security

across a large region that includes DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania,

Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and beyond.

(Funge-Smith, 2018). As outlined by Kolding et al. (2019), regional trade of

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freshwater small pelagics for human consumption intensified with growing

demand as the preserved products are relatively cheap, have a long shelf life,

and are resistant to decomposition. There is also an increased awareness of

the nutritional value of small fishes. However, cross-border trade in small

pelagic fishes is generally informal – contributing to the invisibility of the trade

in national statistics.

6. Although most fish and aquatic resources from inland water bodies are

consumed locally, products from inland water fisheries are also important export

commodities for some countries. An illustration of this economic importance is

the value of the catch from Lake Victoria that alone was estimated at USD 589

million, with a further USD 400 million generated by the export of Nile perch

(LVFO, 2015).

7. Inland capture fisheries employ millions of rural people. According to Funge-

Smith (2018), there are between 16.8 million and 20.7 million people employed

in inland capture fisheries worldwide. Another 8 million to 38 million are

employed in the post-harvest sector. This represents about 2.5 percent to 6

percent of the global agricultural workforce. Women represent more than 50

percent of the workforce in inland fisheries. In Africa alone, inland fisheries

would support livelihoods of 2.7 million fishers and 2.1 million people in the post-

harvest sector.

8. Inland ecosystems are also of paramount importance for biodiversity.

Freshwater ecosystems cover only about 1 percent of the earth’s surface but

provide habitat for over 40 percent (13 000) of known fish species, with the

remaining 60 percent being found in brackish water and marine waters that

cover 70 percent of the earth’s surface. In general, the level of knowledge on

freshwater biodiversity (i.e. species richness, endemism, production, level of

endangerment and value), is poor or out of date for many areas. Many

freshwater species are important to the aquaculture industry as sources of

broodstock for spawning and early life history stages (e.g. eggs, larvae) for

onward production for consumption.

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2. INLAND FISHERIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

9. The contribution of inland fisheries to development has often been overlooked

in policy discussions and the global sustainable development agenda (FAO,

2018), as evidenced by the lack of specific objectives or indicators for inland

fisheries in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (unlike marine fisheries

under SDG 14), mainly because of lack of awareness of the real contribution of

inland fisheries and the ecosystems that support them. In most countries, inland

fisheries are dispersed and not generally associated with intensive yields or

taxable revenue. In addition, in many developing countries and particularly Low-

Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDC), inland fisheries, the people that depend

on them and the ecosystems that support them are extremely vulnerable to

impacts of ill-advised development, poor labour practices (e.g. child labour),

pollution, habitat loss and climate change.

10. As outlined by FAO (2018), inland fisheries are an essential element of the SDG

package adopted by the UN in 2015. Using a combination of an ecosystem

approach (Beard et al., 2011) and a human rights–based approach to develop

and manage inland fisheries, through application of the Small-Scale Fisheries

Guidelines (FAO, 2015) would support achievement of most SDGs, in particular,

SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 6 (clean water

and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 15 (life on land)

(Funge-Smith, 2018). Given the importance of the sector, FAO convened in

2015 a Global Conference on Inland Fisheries that supported preparation and

adoption of the Rome Declaration: Ten Steps to Responsible Inland Fisheries

(FAO, 2016).

11. The Rome Declaration (FAO, 2016) builds on the widely shared recognition that

the status of inland fisheries depends heavily upon the quantity and quality of

freshwater and diversity of fish habitats, all of which are predominantly

influenced by factors external to the fisheries. Whilst fishing pressure needs to

be regulated to avoid stock depletion and negative impacts of fishing on the

environment through destructive fishing practices, improved management and

responsible use and development of inland water bodies and their associated

catchments, is critical to the health and wellbeing of dependent communities.

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12. Inland fisheries management relies to a large extent on cross-sectoral

approaches to sustain livelihoods, food security, and aquatic ecosystems.

According to FAO (2016), about 10 percent of the world’s freshwaters are

abstracted annually for human use. Agriculture currently uses approximately 70

percent of this 10 percent, industry uses approximately 20 percent and domestic

use withdraws another 10 percent. Hydropower development and navigation

are other major uses that disrupt aquatic habitats, waterway connectivity, and

flow regimes. An extreme illustration of this is Lake Chad which lost about 95

percent of its water since the 1960’s mostly as a consequence of unmanaged

irrigation and desertification through overgrazing underpinned by climate

variability (UNEP, 2019). There are many other examples of declining water

sources, like the Zambezi River basin, which stretches across 8 countries in

Southern Africa, having lost a significant portion of its fresh water due to

pollution and poor management

13. From a fisheries management perspective, the subsistence or small-scale

dimensions of inland fisheries make the sector difficult to manage. In general,

the focus of management measures is mainly on technical measures which

include seasonal or area closures to fishing activities, fishing gear restrictions

and mesh size regulation, annual registration of fishing gear and/or vessels,

licensing, catch assessment surveys. In a conjecture of low catches, high

poverty levels, weak control and a lack of alternative livelihood options, these

technical regulations are seldom enforced or adhered to (Dejen et al in FAO

(2019a)). For these authors, access rights, which permit the rights holder to

participate in a fishery (limited entry), or to fish in a particular location (territorial

use rights or ‘TURFs’) should be promoted in line with FAO’s guidelines for

securing small-scale fishing (FAO, 2015).

14. The transnational dimension of many lakes or river basins adds another layer

of complexity to management. Most riparian states have set up regional

institutions to coordinate policies and regulations for management of shared

resources, such as Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) and Lake

Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) of Lake Victoria, the Lake Tanganyika

Authority (LTA) of Lake Tanganyika, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC),

the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) and The Nile Basin Initiative

(NBI) for Lakes Edward and Albert. However, these organisations have

generally no enforcement powers, and their effectiveness and sustainability

remain a concern. As a result, their activities are largely driven by externally

supported projects (Nunan and Onyango in Song et al. (2017)). In some case,

there is still no regional institution to coordinate management of shared water

bodies including fisheries, like in the case of Lake Malawi/Nyasa/Niassa.

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3. MOVING FORWARD: SECURING THE CONTRIBUTION OF INLAND

FISHERIES

15. Inland capture fisheries are important stakeholders that both contribute directly

to the achievement of the SDGs and are indirectly affected by the efforts of

others. They will particularly benefit from those efforts aimed at improving

protection of freshwater habitats and environments and at more effective

integrated resource management in watershed areas, which in turn will enhance

the resource base. The productivity of some inland waters can potentially be

enhanced through culture-based fisheries, habitat enhancement and more

effective management of water and existing fisheries. A key to ensuring the

contribution of inland fisheries is to focus on greater appreciation of their role in

food security and nutrition (fish nutrients are especially critical in early childhood

development), livelihood resilience and securing this role in vulnerable

countries. It is also important to recognise the efficiency and value of current

inland fishery production as an asset in national development policies that

should not be traded off lightly against competing demands from other sectors,

especially for water, as recommended in the SSF Guidelines (FAO, 2015).

However, effective strategies for achieving this outcome are few so far (FAO,

2018). Some initiatives like the NEPAD’s strategy for rational management of

African inland fisheries (AU-IBAR, 2018) must be encouraged, noting that they

generally lack the cross-sectoral dimension required to secure the resource.

16. The 10 steps follow a logical progression. For example, it is first necessary to

know what exists and how valuable it is before convincing information can be

communicated and the sector optimally managed. Moreover, fisheries cannot

be integrated into cross-sectoral governance if they cannot be effectively

managed within the sector. Taking these ten steps will be part of a path towards

sustainable management of the freshwater ecosystems and the fisheries that

they support.

17. The next figures summarises suggested actions to support the development of

inland fisheries (adapted from FAO (2016))

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Step 1

• Improve the assessment of biological production to enable science-based management

Develop, promote and support standardized methods for the assessment of inland fisheriesharvest and aquaculture production including: data collection (including traditional [catcheffort monitoring] and novel approaches such as household and government statisticalsurveys), database management and data sharing.

Support the development of novel approaches to collect inland fishery data, e.g., remotesensing of habitat types and population densities linked to fish production models

Incorporate inland fisheries and aquaculture into ongoing agricultural statistical surveys tofacilitate comparisons, and integrate information to support cross-sectoral decision-making

Increase support for efforts to improve capacity of fishery resource officers to collectinformation on the sector

Establish a minimum set of data requirements that would be practical for countries to collectand that would allow cross-sectoral comparisons

Step 2

• Correctly value inland fisheries

Apply the principles of the Voluntary Guidelines for “Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries” in inland fisheries.

Promote and support the adoption of approaches that include assessment of the ecosystem services provided by inland aquatic ecosystems to value their contribution to ecosystem health and societal wellbeing.

Ecosystem services should be valued along the entire value chain (i.e. including processing and marketing sector and other ancillary activities).

Step 3

• Promote the nutritional value of inland fisheries

Maintain or improve the accessibility/availability of nutrient-rich fish in areas with traditionally high fish consumption and/or high levels of under-nourishment and malnourishment by ensuring fair and equitable access regimes.

Establish fishery and water management plans that include maintenance of an adequate and diverse supply of nutrient rich aquatic products.

Step 4

• Develop and improve science-based approaches to fishery management

Implement an Ecosystem Approach to inland fisheries.

Support effective governmental, communal/co-operative, or rights based governance arrangements and improve compliance with fishery management regulations.

Modify or establish fishery and resource management arrangements to protect the productive capacity of inland waters and the livelihoods of communities dependent on the resource.

Where reducing fishing capacity is called for, establish appropriate social safeguards and provision of alternative livelihoods for people leaving the fishery sector.

Step 5

• Improve communication among freshwater users

Building from the “Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines” and other relevant instruments, use appropriate and accessible communication channels to disseminate information about inland fish, fishers and fisheries to raise awareness of inland fisheries’ values and issues, to alter human behaviour, and influence relevant policy and management.

The fisheries sector should engage other users of freshwater resources and participate in national and international fora that address freshwater resource issues, conflicts and synergies.

The fisheries sector should invite other users of freshwaters to participate in fisheries fora.

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Step 6

•Improve governance, especially for shared waterbodies

•Establish governance institutions (e.g., river or lake basin authorities) when they do not existor expand and strengthen the mandate and capacity of existing institutions to address inlandfisheries needs in the decision making processes.

•Commit to incorporating internationally agreed decisions on shared water bodies withinnational government policies.

Step 7

• Develop collaborative approaches to cross-sectoral integration in development agenda

•Promote cross-sectoral discussions about the trade-offs and synergies of inland water development and management options that consider the inland fishery sector a partner in resource development in an equitable manner.

•Identify and strengthen platforms and legal frameworks for multi-stakeholder-based decision-making and management.

•Incorporate inland fish and fisheries into the post-2015 SDGs on water issues and include all ecosystem services provided by inland aquatic ecosystems..

Step 8

•Respect equity and rights of stakeholders

•Protect the cultural heritage of indigenous people and their connections to the environment.

•Ratify and implement the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989 (ILO-160), aswell as the Universal Declaration of Indigenous Peoples and other International human rightsinstruments.

Step 9

• Make aquaculture an important ally

•Adopt an ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture management (10).

•Recognize the common need for healthy and productive aquatic ecosystems and promotesynergies and manage trade-offs among fisheries, stock enhancement, and aquaculture.

•Regulate and manage the use of non-native species in aquaculture development.

Step 10

• Develop an action plan for global inland fisheries

•Develop an action plan based on the above steps to ensure the sustainability andresponsible use of inland fisheries and aquatic resources for future generations.

•The action plan should involve the international community, governments, Civil SocietyOrganizations, indigenous people groups, and private industry, and include all sectors usingfreshwater aquatic resources

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4. KEY TAKE AWAY MESSAGES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF ACP

FISHERIES MINISTERS

Although inland fisheries are not explicitly considered in the UN SDG package, inland fisheries can bring an important contribution to most SDGs.

In many ACP States, inland fisheries are part of the invisible as a result of the subsistence or small-scale dimensions of the sector. A key to ensuring the contribution of inland fisheries is to capture their role in food security and nutrition through adapted surveys and monitoring systems.

ACP States should ensure that fishing pressure is effectively regulated to avoid stock depletion and to avoid negative impacts of fishing on the environment through destructive fishing practices. However, inland fisheries are dependent on water resources which are subject to intensive uses by other economic sectors, principally agriculture. ACP Fisheries Ministers should actively engage with other concerned Government agencies to define and implement a cross-sectoral approach that will ensure that inland fisheries are not traded off against competing demands from other sectors.

ACP States may consider the Ten Steps to Responsible Inland Fisheries defined in the 2015 Rome Declaration as a basis for an action plan with due consideration of the cross-sectoral and often transnational dimensions of inland fisheries.

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5. REFERENCES

AU-IBAR (2018) Strategy for Rational Management of African Inland Fisheries. AU-IBAR Reports. 20 p.

Beard, T.D., Jr., Arlinghaus, R., Cooke, S.J., et al. (2011) Ecosystem approach to inland fisheries: research needs and implementation strategies. Biology letters 7, 481-483. [In eng]

FAO (2015) Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations., 34 pp.

FAO (2016) The Rome Declaration: Ten Steps to Responible Inland Fisheries. . FAO, Rome and the Michigan State University, 12 pp.

FAO (2018) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 - Meeting the sustainable development goals. Rome. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

FAO (2019a) Africa’s inland aquatic ecosystems: how they can increase food security and nutrition. Nature & Faune journal 32 (2), 108 p.

FAO (2019b) Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics. Global capture production 1950-2017 (FishstatJ). In: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department [online]. Rome. Updated 2019.

Funge-Smith, S.J. (2018) Review of the state of world fishery resources: inland fisheries. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. No. C942 Rev.3,, Rome. 397 pp.

Kolding, J., van Zwieten, P., Marttin, F., Funge-Smith, S., Poulain, F. (2019) Freshwater small pelagic fish and fisheries in major African lakes and reservoirs in relation to food security and nutrition. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. N°642, Rome, FAO. 124 pp.FAO. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 123.120 IGO.

Kolding, J., van Zwieten, P., Marttin, F., Poulain, F. (2016) Fisheries in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa – “Fish come with the rains”. Building resilience for fisheries-dependent livelihoods to enhance food security and nutrition in the drylands. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. N° 1118, Rome, Italy. 64 pp.

LVFO (2015) Inland Fisheries Co-Management in Africa. Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization. Annual Report. Jinjia-Uganda.

Song, A.M., Bower, S.D., Onyango, P., Cooke, S.J., Chuenpagdee, R.E. (2017) Inter-sectoral governance of inland fisheries. TBTI Publication Series. E-01/2017. Too Big To Ignore-WorldFish. St.John’s, Canada, 169 p.

UNEP (2019) Lake Chad. Environmental Change Hotspots. Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA). United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

World Bank (2012) Hidden Harvest - The Global Contribution of Capture Fisheries. ECONOMIC AND SECTOR WORK. Report N° 66469-GLB, 92 pp.