The Interregional Institute for
Maritime Security (ISMI) has trained some fishery officers to fight
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Gulf of Guinea.
Atleast
20 auditors comprising fisheries inspectors, naval officers, agents of
fisheries administrations from 12 countries of the Gulf of Guinea have
been equipped with the requisite knowledge and techniques to fight
illegal fishing.
The countries include Benin, Cameroon, Gabon,
Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Togo and of course Côte d’Ivoire.
The four-day training started on 10th February and ends today Friday 14th February.
The first level training brought together 30 officers to participate in a 5day training at the Regional Academy of Marine Science and Technology (ARSTM) in Yopougon, Abidjan financed by the French cooperation via the Directorate of Security and Defense Cooperation (DCSD), and supported by the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire from 18th to 22nd February, 2019.
The participants were drawn from 13 countries
such as Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Guinea
Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Gabon, Congo, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and the
Democratic Republic of Congo to clampdown on the activities of pirates
on their territorial waters.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated
fishing (IUU), which represents more than 37% of the catches in the Gulf
of Guinea accounts for the significant loss of state income which
remains a threat to the survival of coastal communities and the
depletion of fish stocks around the world.
Speaking at the
opening ceremony, Director of ISMI Abe Ake Lazare said to contribute to
an effective response to this threat, ISMI, a strategic partner of the
Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC), is organising the training
course, which is intended to be more in-depth than last year’s course.
According
to him, IUU fishing is a serious global problem that has developed over
the last 20 years and is one of the main obstacles to the sustainable
management of fisheries.
He noted that IUU fishing has led to
significant loss of income, especially for some of the world’s poorest
countries, where dependence on fisheries for food, livelihoods and
income is high.
Abe Ake Lazare added that it threatens the
survival of coastal communities in developing countries and the
depletion of fish stocks around the world hindering conservation and
rebuilding initiatives.
“This training course has been funded by
France, a key partner of ISMI, through the support programme for the
State Action at Sea in the countries of the Gulf of Guinea,” Abe Ake
Lazare emphasized.
The Regional Coordinator For State Action At
Sea Guillaume de Beauregard noted that the seminar is of particular
importance and must be treated with the utmost seriousness.
He indicated that IUU fishing is a key factor that contributes to increased maritime insecurity in the region.
Guillaume
de Beauregard added that IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea encompasses
many illegal activities that go beyond the traditional description and
the law enforcement response to it is beyond the investigative and
prosecutorial capacity and competence of most national fisheries
authorities.
According to him, the transnational scope and
complexity of these activities require extensive cooperation between law
enforcement agencies within and across national boundaries.
He
stressed that the seminar is being held to foster cooperation between
States in order to identify useful synergies, promote information
exchange and create a knowledge network beyond our borders.
“Training and capacity building of fisheries inspectors is not a luxury, but a necessity that is becoming more and more urgent every day,” Guillaume de Beauregard emphasised.
