Progress report for
Partnership with African Coastal States to Eradicate IUU Fishing in their Sovereign Waters by 2020
Achievement at a glance
Since 2016, Sea Shepherd has been working to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by providing the use of civilian offshore patrol vessels to African coastal states so that authorities can enforce fisheries regulations and conservation laws in their sovereign waters.To achieve this we have partnered with governments in Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe (Operation Albacore), Liberia (Operation Sola Stella), and Tanzania (Operation Jodari).
In 2019 we entered into a new partnership with the government of Benin, with Sea Shepherd crew and local NGO Eco-Benin working together with law enforcement agents representing the State Action on the Sea, the Navy of Benin and the Ministry of Fisheries for Operation Guegou.
In addition to national governments, Sea Shepherd also works with existing programs like Fish-i Africa and supports Interpol's Project Scale to amplify respective efforts to stop IUU fishing without duplicating each other's work.
To date, these unique partnerships have resulted in the arrest of 29 vessels for illegal fishing and other fisheries crimes.
Beneficiaries
Illegal fishing activity has virtually disappeared in the partner countries where Sea Shepherd operates. In Liberia, artisanal fishermen in Harper and Robertsport, on the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone, are reporting that fish are returning to areas that have historically been decimated, allowing the return of artisanal fishing, which supports over 33,000 locals.
Ibrahim Turey, 43, a newscaster at the local Radio Pisco station says: Illegal fishing was rampant, in the war and afterwards. But they are no longer coming here with their boats. We see Sea Shepherd out there on patrol.