Victoria, Seychelles: October 27: The Western Indian Ocean nations are strengthening their collective efforts in response to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing through complementary actions spearheaded by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), Expertise France and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), as part of the EU-funded Sustainable Western Indian Ocean Programme (SWIOP). Launched on October 26, EFCA, Expertise France and IOC components combine their support for scientific research on fisheries data, capacity building, information sharing and coordinated monitoring, and control and surveillance (MCS) to help protect the region’s fisheries resources and dependent livelihoods.
Jointly organised by the EU Delegation to Mauritius and Seychelles, EFCA, Expertise France and IOC, the launch has brought together the Principal Minister, Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and the Blue Economy of Seychelles, Secretary General of IOC, Head of Partnerships of the Delegation of the European Union to Mauritius and Seychelles as well as the French Ambassador in Seychelles. The event marked a new chapter in regional cooperation in tackling IUU fishing, building on the experience and commitment of national authorities and regional partners.
SWIOP covers Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania. Within its ocean governance pillar, the EFCA, Expertise France and IOC components contribute to the common objective of reducing IUU fishing, building on national priorities, existing regional cooperation and the experience of participating authorities.
The IOC has established and coordinated the Regional Fisheries Monitoring Plan (RFMP) since 2007 with the support of the European Union. The RFMP constitutes a coordinated response to IUU fishing in the western Indian Ocean. Involving the five IOC Member States as well as Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia and Tanzania, the PRSP covers an area of over 6.5 million km² of EEZs. The PRSP enables joint patrols at sea, supplemented by aerial missions, facilitates the exchange of information and the pooling of resources, and strengthens fisheries surveillance and observation capabilities. It also serves as a tool for prevention, intervention, and deterrence.
“IUU fishing destroys ecosystems, and IUU fishing does not stop at national borders. We can only tackle it by commitment and collaboration at the regional level. SWIOP EU-funded program provides that and strengthens the regional MCS framework by way of joint patrol activities, targeted surveillance, information sharing, and institutional and capacity building. EFCA stands ready to bring our experience and expertise to the SWIOP and is very excited and committed to the operational, “hands-on” model which the project will deliver with local partners,” commented the EFCA Executive Director, Dr. Susan Steele.
While the Secretary-General of the IOC, Dr Ibrahim Norbert Richard, underlined, “The fight against IUU fishing can only be effective if it is based on close, coordinated and sustainable cooperation between all the stakeholders concerned. Fishing activities and the movements of vessels transcend national borders. Responses must therefore be based on information-sharing, the coordination of operations, capacity-building and the pooling of expertise. This is precisely the purpose of the IOC’s PRSP, which the SWIOP programme will support. Through this programme, our aim is to consolidate existing regional mechanisms, improve Member States’ surveillance capabilities and strengthen operational cooperation between the institutions involved in combating IUU fishing.”
“The launch of the fisheries component of the programme under Pillar 1, with total support of EUR 11 million from the European Union, marks an important milestone. It reflects a shared ambition: to promote the sustainable management of fisheries resources, strengthen the resilience of coastal and island states and consolidate maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean. The European Union places great importance on the preservation of the oceans and the sustainable use of marine resources. In a region where communities rely heavily on the sea for food, employment, and income, sustainable fishing is not merely an environmental issue; it is also an economic, social, and strategic one,” this is according to the Head of Partnerships, Delegation of the European Union to Mauritius and Seychelles, Mr Jose Maria Troncoso Perera.
