High-level side event at the Our Ocean Conference 2026 in Mombasa, Kenya

Date: 16 to 18 June 2026
Venue: Mombasa, Kenya

 
The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), in partnership with the Southern African Development Community Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (SADC MCSCC), invites ocean leaders, fisheries authorities, development partners, regional organisations, civil society and the private sector to take part in a high-level side event at the Our Ocean Conference 2026 in Mombasa, Kenya.

 
The side event, titled “Securing our Ocean and Fisheries: Regional Leadership Uniting for a Transparent and Sustainable Blue African Future,” will showcase how African-led regional cooperation is delivering practical solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing across the continent. It will bring together leaders from government, regional organisations and international partners to highlight how stronger transparency, information sharing, joint monitoring and coordinated enforcement are helping protect Africa’s fisheries resources.

 
Taking place during the eleventh Our Ocean Conference, scheduled for 16 to 18 June 2026, the event comes at a historic moment as the conference is hosted in Africa for the first time under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future.” This provides an important platform to elevate African leadership in ocean governance and mobilise action for sustainable fisheries, food security, livelihoods and marine protection.

 
The event will focus on the work of the FCWC Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Centre in Tema, Ghana, and the SADC MCS Coordination Centre in Maputo, Mozambique. Through real case examples and panel discussions, speakers will demonstrate how regional mechanisms are moving from ad hoc cooperation to more systematic and institutionalised collaboration in the fight against illegal fishing.

 
Participants will also explore the shared vision of “African Vigilance,” a continent-wide approach to fisheries transparency and collaboration. This vision seeks to link regional fisheries monitoring centres, strengthen vessel monitoring and information exchange, and build a more unified African response to illegal fishing and fisheries-related crimes.

 
FCWC encourages all stakeholders committed to sustainable fisheries, ocean governance and Africa’s blue economy to join the conversation, support stronger regional systems, and contribute to a transparent and sustainable future for African oceans.

 
Join us at Our Ocean Conference 2026 in Mombasa, Kenya, and be part of the movement for African-led ocean action.