According to the report representatives from African coastal states attend a workshop in the United Kingdom to learn more of the ways to deal with illegal and IUU fishing which damages fish stocks, the marine environment, food security and wider economic growth and development. The Southern Ocean is often targeted by this practice and IUU fishing operations have traditionally exploited weak controls in African coastal states when landing their catches.
The issue has been taken seriously by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Polar Regions Unit and they successfully convened a workshop in Cape Town between 3-6 August, in collaboration with Australia, South Africa, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s Partnership for African Fisheries, and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Representatives from 12 African coastal states attended the workshop which was heavily oversubscribed. The aim of the gathering was to create a network of stakeholders who could work together to identify the challenges involved for African states when tackling IUU fishing, and implement solutions to these problems.
Delegates were also asked to identify actions for implementation on return – these included strengthening port controls, signing up to the Food and Agriculture Organisation Agreement on Port State Measures, better communication across relevant government departments and enhanced regional co-operation. It is hoped that interventions such as this one can help to deliver lasting impact in the fight against IUU fishing.
