By James Amoh Junior
Accra, May 16, GNA – Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) Fishing poses severe threat to the sustainability of fishery resources and the livelihoods of millions of people, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has said.
He said the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), with its abundance of fish and marine resources, had become a significant target for IUU fishing activities – a situation that had become hazardous.
Maj. Gen. Gyane, speaking at the opening of a three-day symposium on IUU Fishing Trends and Impact in the Gulf of Guinea, acknowledged the need to address the growing concern of IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea.
He said the amount being lost annually could be used to invest in education, healthcare, and infrastructure to improve the livelihoods of the people in the region.
The symposium, ongoing in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, forms part of a partnership between the Government of Denmark and the KAIPTC under the ‘Integrated Responses to Threats to Maritime Safety and Security in the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Domain in West and Central Africa (2022-2026)’ project.
It brought together stakeholders, including government, academia, civil society, and the private sector, to discuss the nature, scope, and impact of IUU fishing in the region to share experiences, best practices, and strategies towards sustainable fishing in the GoG.
Among others, the symposium would increase awareness of the trends and magnitude of IUU fishing; highlight the economic, environmental, and social impacts of IUU fishing and discuss measures such as recommended policies and approaches in addressing IUU fishing in the GoG.
Recent alarming statistics indicate that the Gulf of Guinea is losing billions of dollars annually to illicit fishing activities.
According to a report by the Environmental Justice Foundation, the region is losing up to $2.3 billion annually due to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Maj. Gen. Gyane said the impact of IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea was critical to the marine ecosystem as such unregulated and clandestine fishing activities resulted in overfishing, which in turn led to the depletion of fish stocks, and the devastation of marine habitats.
“This can also have far-reaching consequences, including the loss of biodiversity, the decline in fisheries productivity, and the loss of income for small-scale fishers,” the Commandant said.
Therefore, he said, it required the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to work towards a sustainable and responsible fishing industry that guaranteed the preservation of the marine environment and the livelihoods of millions of people.
Maj. Gen. Gyane said, “…we must prioritise cooperation, collaboration, and the sharing of best practices among stakeholders.
Mr Assoumany Gouromenan, Ivorian Director of Cabinet, Ministry of Animals and Fisheries Resources, reiterated the devastating threats IUU fishing posed to the sustainable management of fisheries resources, conservation of biodiversity and environmental preservation in the Gulf of Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.
He said IUU fishing had increased over the last two decades and was likely to destroy the livelihoods of fishing communities, undermine food security, and create hazardous and indecent working conditions in the sub-region.
Mr Gouromenan said all Gulf of Guinea countries were affected by IUU fishing which required the pollng of logistics and operational means at the national level as part of a state action at sea and all other sub-regional levels.
Commandant Kouassi Yao Jean Pierre, the Technical Secretary in Charge of Maritime and Ports Affairs, SEPCIM-AEM, said the maritime spaces were home for resources, including fisheries and oil created income-generating activities through port operations, transportation, and other industries.
However, he said, the potential remained vulnerable to the risk of threats posed by safety and security issues, especially through maritime crime activities, including IUU fishing.
Mr Jean Pierre called for, “A collaborative approach is needed to deal with the issues that confront us collectively as a sub-region.”
GNA