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The Nation (Nairobi)
2 May 2008
Posted to the web 1 May 2008
Paul Redfern
London
The scale of illegal fishing across Africa is now so serious that it is in danger of decimating stocks across the continent, a new report says.
The report represents 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.
Britain's minister for Trade and Development, Mr Gareth Thomas, said that the scale of illegal fishing could be double earlier estimates with weak international governance hampering progress in tackling the problem.
His comments follow publication of the 'Global Extent of Illegal Fishing' report which reveals that global annual losses from illegal fishing could be double earlier estimates at $10 to $23 billion (between Sh62 and Sh142.6 billion) annually.
The report follows a similar recent study by the Institute for Security Studies which says that that the scale of illegal fishing now threatens around 10 million African people who depend on fishing for an income.
ISS is currently monitoring the level of destruction of fish stocks off the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts in a research project which will be published soon.
The culprits in the devastation of African fishing stocks are large-scale commercial fishing companies most of whom originate in the European Union and Asia.
Depleted stocks
Not only are such fleets overfishing in African waters, having depleted fishing stocks around European Union and East Asian shores, but the loss of fishing stocks is being compounded by the way the fishing fleets go about their business.
Firstly, the ISS report says that large amounts of unwanted fish are dumped at sea because they are not considered lucrative.
Secondly, is the way in which the fleets operate, using harmful fishing methods, such as nets and long-lines that indiscriminately damage the ocean bed or kill birds, dolphins and other marine animals.
Mr Thomas said that illegal fishing is a persistent global problem which is having a chronic effect on developing countries.
"People and countries who can least afford it are losing out - many developing countries generate more revenue from fish exports than coffee, cocoa, sugar, bananas, rubber and tea combined," Mr Thomas said.
"For a family in Africa, it's about the father no longer being able to go out and earn a living because the area's been over-fished by illegal trawlers.
"Governments are not doing enough to protect their natural resources -countries such as Namibia, Iceland and New Zealand have understood this and ensured their fish boosts their economies, but many developing countries are missing out. We can turn this situation around but only if governments act now to protect their communities from criminal operators."
Big trawlers
Ghanaian fisherman, Mr David Quaye, 63, said: "I come from a fishing family -my father was a fisherman and my brothers are fishermen and I am secretary of the local fishermen's association.
A long time ago, when we were fishing there were no big fishing trawlers and if there were, there was a particular zone for them where they fish. Now these bigger, foreign fishing trawlers are mixed with the local fishermen.
"Illegal fishing has cost our 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." Mr Thomas said that the international trade in fish is worth over $80 billion a year with more than half of that from developing countries.
"DFID has led the way in developing the voluntary partnerships between the EU and exporting states to tackle illegal logging - we need to apply this approach to illegal fishing."
But the ISS report said that 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.
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Food, Agriculture and Rural Issues
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Sustainable Development
The task of combating the myriad forms of criminal activities involved in commercial fisheries requires significant infrastructure and spending. An effective strategy to combat illegal fishing will also involve strong regional co-ordination.
"African governments also lack the necessary political will. This may partly stem from insufficient concern about sustainable and responsible use of the oceans.
However, equally worrying is the empirical link between proxies of 'bad governance' and rates of illegal fishing. Countries where corruption is endemic are particularly ineffective at combating criminal activities and the reason for this may include politicians and public officials being complicit in crimes."
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