According to the report the first detailed quantitative analysis of the problem on a global scale and studies indicate that losses for sub-Saharan Africa total $1 billion per year. Gareth Thomas, Britain’s minister for Trade and Development, told that the scale of illegal fishing could be double earlier estimates with weak international governance hampering progress in tackling the problem.
The report, ‘Global Extent of Illegal Fishing,’ reveals that global annual losses from illegal fishing could be double earlier estimates at $10 to $23 billion annually. A recent study by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says that that the scale of illegal fishing now threatens around 10 million African people who depend on fishing for an income. Currently the ISS is monitoring the level of destruction of fish stocks off the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts in a research project which will be published soon.
The man reason of the devastation of African fishing stocks are large-scale commercial fishing companies most of whom originate in the European Union and Asia. Overfishing not only depleted fish stocks in African waters but also bring many fish species to the brink of extinction. Thomas told that due to illegal fishing many developing countries generate more revenue from fish exports than coffee, cocoa, sugar, bananas, rubber and tea combined.
Ghanaian fisherman, David Quaye, said illegal fishing has cost the fishermen a lot. Formerly they get fish, they get money, they send their children to school. But now they are not able to give to their family. According to ISS report part of the problem is that African governments often simply lack the necessary capacity and expertise and are, therefore, easy targets for predatory fishing vessels.
