ECOWAS: Improved Regional Fisheries Governance in Western Africa Programme (PESCAO)

Project background

ECOWAS is tasked with achieving the collective economic autonomy of member states through an economic and monetary union and creating an integrated market while the peoples live together peacefully in an increasingly borderless region. The ECOWAS region is on its way to becoming a region governed by the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance. Deepening cohesion and thus promoting regional integration are important tasks of the institution, which offers strategic programmes that help harmonise economic efforts and promote the private sector. Fisheries and aquaculture development falls under agriculture and is overseen by the Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). DARD played a central role in the implementation of the PESCAO programme and was responsible for its monitoring.

There was a need to raise awareness and gain deeper insight into the sector to achieve a better understanding at the technical level. The TA team has supported DARD staff in carrying out the many tasks related to the implementation of the PESCAO programme in general and specifically with regard to Outcome 1.

Objectives

The TA-project has two contract purposes (CP):

CP1: to support ECOWAS in the achievement of result 1 of the PESCAO programme (policy development)

CP2: to support ECOWAS in the overall coordination of the PESCAO programme

Under contract purpose 1, ECOWAS received support in order to achieve result 1 of the PESCAO programme: "A Western African fisheries and aquaculture policy is developed and coordination of regional stakeholders is improved."

In the ToR, this result was broken down into five sub-results. The TA team should actively support the development of a solid understanding of regional fisheries issues (1.1) and the formulation and adoption of a regional fisheries and aquaculture policy (1.2). Regional cooperation between ECOWAS and WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union), SRFC (Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission) and FCWC (Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea) needed to be strengthened (1.3). A stakeholder network at ECOWAS level and an information platform was to facilitate regional information exchange and dialogue (1.4). Donor coordination, exchange and cooperation between fisheries projects were to be enhanced (1.5).

A second purpose of this contract was the support of ECOWAS in the overall coordination of the PESCAO programme. A list of 9 so-called "additional specific tasks" combined activities related to the three TA-project phases, namely the inception phase, the implementation phase and the closure phase. The core themes of these activities were capacity building and institutional strengthening of ECOWAS/DARD and its staff and the setting up of a highly performant monitoring and evaluation system (M&E).

Results

Result 1.1: ECOWAS developed a solid understanding of regional fisheries issues.

Result 1.2: At the ECOWAS level, a regional fisheries and aquaculture policy was drafted and adopted contributing to better integration of fisheries issues in regional policies and strategies as well as ensuring consistency with global, continental and regional instruments.

Result 1.3: Institutional anchorage between regional economic communities (ECOWAS and WAEMU) and regional fisheries bodies (SRFC and FCWC) was defined, consolidated and operationalized - resulting in strengthened regional organizations.

Result 1.4: A network of stakeholders was developed at ECOWAS level.

Result 1.5: Coordination between fisheries projects and donors in western Africa was reinforced.

Result 2: ECOWAS was supported in its lead role as coordinating agency for the implementation of the PESCAO Programme.