Kofi Ampeah Woode
In the framework of the five-year cooperation between Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and the Danish Government, a three-day symposium is to be held in Abidjan, la Cote d’Ivoire, to address trends and impact of Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The 3-day symposium, which seeks to promote sustainable fishing practices and ensure long-term viability of the vital resource, comes off on Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 May 2023, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and will bring together stakeholders from various sectors, including government, academia, civil society, and the private sector, to discuss the nature, scope, and impact of IUU fishing in the GoG region.
The symposium, which also aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to share experiences, best practices, and strategies towards sustainable fishing in the GoG, is within the setting of the KAIPTC and the Danish Government’s project of ‘Integrated Responses to Threats to Maritime Safety and Security in the GoG Maritime Domain in West and Central Africa’.
It will provide a platform for maritime stakeholders in the GoG to better understand the maritime security landscape, deepen their collaboration and coordination, pool individual and collective resources, in an effort to strengthen maritime security.
Among others, the conference will increase awareness of the trends and magnitude of IUU fishing in the GoG; highlight the economic, environmental, and social impacts of IUU fishing in the GoG and discuss measures such as recommended policies and approaches in addressing IUU fishing in the GoG.
Also, the session will identify opportunities for sustainable fisheries management and development in GoG, and improve understanding of the legal and institutional framework for addressing IUU fishing in the GoG. The symposium’s outcomes will provide valuable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and other actors involved in the fisheries sector in GoG.
Additionally, the meeting will provide a valuable opportunity for participants to engage in dialogue, share experiences, and explore innovative solutions to the challenges posed by IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea.
The effort to curb IUU fishing activities has been a significant concern for the global fishing industry in the GoG. IUU fishing refers to fishing activities that are conducted in violation of national laws and international agreements or regulations.
The GoG’s coastal waters have been subject to IUU fishing practices for many years, resulting in significant negative economic, environmental, and social impacts to a region which has also been one of the most important fishing grounds in the world, and supports the livelihoods of millions of people.
In the coastal communities in the GoG, fish is vital to food security, however, pollution, climate change, human population growth, and illegal and excessive fishing, existentially threaten this resource. The illegal nature of IUU fishing and the lack of reliable data, makes it difficult to accurately scope the extent of the problem, but a range of estimates suggest that between 40 and 65 percent of fish caught in the region are so done illegally.
