A stark warning has been issued by International Development Minister Gareth Thomas that, if action isn’t taken immediately, illegal fishing could have a devastating impact on fish stocks off the coast of Africa. It is told that there is an urgent need to introduce mush tighter regulation and policing.
Experts explained that the over-fishing will also lead to the demise of the local, more small-scale fishing industry, upon which tens of thousands of fishermen and women depend for their livelihood. It is fact that Africa’s vast reserves of fish stocks are rapidly dwindling due to industrial fishing boats catching massive quantities of fish for export.
As said that illegal fishing costs African countries over £600 million ($1bn) a year, and devastates local economies which rely on the fishing trade. The total cost to the world economy of illegal fishing and poor management of marine stocks is an estimated £60bn ($100bn) every year.
Gareth Thomas opined that it is high time to end the scourge of illegal fishing off the coast of Africa. Thomas said that the fishermen and women who have practised this sort of sustainable, small-scale fishing for generations are suffering the most in all this. Thomas was referring to the new Partnership for African Fisheries programme that DFID is funding through the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
