The Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) is an intergovernmental organization for fisheries cooperation instituted by the Convention of 29 March 1985, amended on 14 July 1993 in Praia (Cabo Verde). It includes 7 Member States: Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its headquarters are in Dakar, Senegal.
The SRFC is an institution with the mandate to strengthen cooperation through and mechanisms for sustainable fisheries resource governance, to improve the sustainable management of fisheries in maritime areas under the jurisdiction of its Member States. The CSRP derives its resources from member states' contributions and grants from technical and financial partners in the implementation of projects.
The objective of the SRFC is to harmonize the national policies of the Member States with regard to the preservation, conservation and exploitation of fishery resources, and to strengthen cooperation for the benefit of the population (Article 2 of the Convention 1985), in particular through the following areas:
- Ensuring the harmonization and coherence of national fisheries policies with regard to the conservation and exploitation of fisheries resources;
- The development of subregional cooperation in monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing areas, including institutional, legal and operational support, to eliminate illegal, unregistered and unregulated (IUU) fishing;
- Development of human capacity to undertake fisheries research;
- Strengthening of the scientific and technical information system;
- The adoption of common strategies in international forums.
