The MeerWissen project “Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring in Cabo Verde” (CEM_CV) used the Cabo Verde Ocean Week 2019 to further establish a network of stakeholder contacts and to align and coordinate activities with the Capacity Building Programme of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) in Mindelo and activities at governmental and NGO level. Significant in that respect is the contact to the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FITI), to which Cabo Verde declared unequivocal commitment on February 12, 2020. The Minister of Maritime Economy declared, that it remains a complex challenge for Cabo Verde to ensure that fishing and fish trade contribute to national income, employment and food security.
Since FITI is based on a multi-stakeholder governance structure comprising government, national entrepreneurs and civil society, it is most important to align CEM_CV with this initiative. In this respect, the contact to the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) is also important in terms of developing fisheries projects and strengthening economic relationships in the fisheries sector. Presently, artisanal fishermen from Cabo Verde mainly provide bait to foreign one-by-one line fishers, whereas the one-by-one fisheries itself (one fishermen – one line, as opposed to the long-line and purse seine fisheries with much higher effort per fishermen) could prove to have high potential economic impact in terms of a significant step on the fisheries value chain. This would require the artisanal fishermen to organize into cooperative units and provide investments into larger boats to carry out one-by-fisheries effectively.
While there are many aspects to achieve sustainable fisheries, the public availability of credible information is essential. Once this information becomes accessible, it enhances public debates on fisheries policies which leads to meaningful participation in fisheries decision-making. In this context, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative is a unique effort in achieving responsible fisheries governance, thereby enhancing the sustainable use of marine resources by those who adhere to its standard.
During the Cabo Verde Ocean Week 2019 new contacts were invited to join the CEM_CV stakeholder board in order to actively participate in the co-design and co-production of the project.
The Cabo Verde Ocean week is an annual event that brings together local and regional stakeholders, policymakers and the wider public in order to discuss ocean-related topics such as the development of the blue economy and the sustainable use of ocean resources.
