Leaflet

Status and Future of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements in the South West Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean’s tropical climate supports abundant near-shore fisheries that are mainly accessed by local fishers to meet national seafood demand, while its nutrient rich offshore waters are home to around 19% of the world’s total tuna production. After the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean is the second largest region in the world for tuna fishing. Around 400 to 500 industrial fishing vessels originating from Asia and Europe track and catch tuna both inside the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the coastal States and in the high seas beyond any single State’s jurisdiction.

Since the late 1980s, the European Union (EU) has entered into bilateral fishing agreements with countries in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO). These bilateral agreements, negotiated and concluded by the European Commission on behalf of all EU Members States, have evolved to become Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs). SFPAs sit within the framework of the external dimension of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and enable EU vessels to fish surplus stocks in the partner country’s EEZ within an agreed framework of cooperation.

For SFPAs to continue to create mutual benefits for the coastal States and the EU within the changing dynamics of global fisheries, there are some challenges to overcome. These include an improved system for reporting what has been caught, better information transparency, and stronger links to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) conservation and management measures.

SFPAs, when transparent and well-managed, can benefit both the EU and the coastal State. To secure the future of fair and equitable SFPAs in the SWIO, the recommendations presented in this summary must be taken on board in future SFPA negotiations.