The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has published a comprehensive leaflet detailing the structure, achievements, and strategic goals of the FCWC Regional Fisheries Data Centre. This publication highlights the significant progress made in fisheries data collection, management, and sharing across the six FCWC Member States—Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo.
The leaflet underscores the critical role that reliable data plays in sustainable fisheries management. Historically, the lack of consistent and reliable fisheries data has hindered the development of science-based decisions in the region. The FCWC Regional Fisheries Data Centre addresses this challenge by providing a secure, centralised platform for data collection and exchange, enabling Member States to collaborate more effectively and improve the management of shared fish stocks.
Key Highlights from the Leaflet:
Centralised Fisheries Data: The Regional Fisheries Data Centre hosts a secure database where data from the six Member States is stored and shared, covering landings, fishing effort, and vessel details for both artisanal and industrial fisheries.
Enhanced Capacity: Through targeted training and technical support provided under the FCWC-FAO partnership, national data teams have improved their ability to collect and report fisheries statistics.
Scientific Decision-Making: The collected data supports the FCWC-FIRMS fisheries inventories, enabling better monitoring of fish stocks and trends, and informing science-based management decisions.
Harmonised Data Sharing: The FCWC’s Protocol for the Pooling and Sharing of Information provides a legal framework for data-sharing across Member States, ensuring consistency and alignment with international standards.
The FCWC’s collaboration with the FAO has been instrumental in establishing the Regional Fisheries Data Centre and developing a reliable fisheries management system. The FCWC’s work with the FAO’s Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) ensures that data from the Centre contributes to global fisheries inventories, reinforcing the role of West Africa in the global fisheries landscape.
The newly published leaflet provides a detailed overview of the FCWC Regional Fisheries Data Centre and its impact on fisheries management in West Africa.
