Partnership with African Coastal States to Eradicate IUU Fishing in their Sovereign Waters by 2020
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Non-governmental organization (NGO)
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#OceanAction41107
Description
Although national laws and international agreements exist to protect their coastal waters and marine reserves from overfishing and IUU fishing, their resources to adequately patrol and enforce them are stretched thin. Sea Shepherd provides ships and crew which the partner government agencies such as the Coastguard can use for both long-term training and capacity-building, as well as for patrolling the coastal waters and boarding any vessels suspected of IUU fishing.
In 2016, Sea Shepherds five-month campaign in the Gulf of Guinea, Operation Albacore, was a partnership with Gabons Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Fisheries (ANPA), as well as two marines and one fisheries observer from neighboring island state So Tom and Principe. With national agency representatives and military on board, the M/Y Bob Barker carried out five surveillance and control missions of 20 days each patrolling the Gabonese and Sao Tomean waters and Marine Protected Area (MPA) for IUU fishing activity. Over 50 vessels were boarded and five were arrested. Gabons waters, which covers an area of over 200,000 square kilometers of highly productive waters, accounts for 20 % of Atlantic tuna global catches This operation brought to light a heavy toll of illegal fishing and the need for effective law enforcement.
In February 2017, Sea Shepherd partnered with the Liberian Ministry of Defense for a three-month campaign, Operation Sola Stella, to stop IUU fishing in their EEZ, and in particular to help protect Liberias inshore exclusion zone that reserves the six nautical miles closest to shore for subsistence, artisanal and semi-artisanal fishing, a sector which employs 33,000 Liberians. The campaign resulted in the arrest of five vessels, including a Nigerian-flagged shrimp trawler certified as sustainable by the US Department of State caught without a valid fishing permit and without using the legally-required Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). Prior to the arrival of the M/Y Bob Barker in Liberia, the artisanal fishing community of Harper, a Liberian town on the border with Cote dIvoire, complained of almost daily incursions by foreign industrial trawlers fishing illegally. In the last month of patrolling Liberian waters, Sea Shepherd did not come across any IUU fishing activity, indicating that law enforcement at sea is having a deterrent effect.
Sea Shepherd aims to establish long-term relationships with partner nations, returning to Liberia and Gabon as needed, and to steadily build partnerships in additional African countries where IUU fishing is an ongoing problem. Due to the success of Operation Albacore and Operation Sola Stella, Sea Shepherd is already in preliminary discussions with several government representatives in both West and East African coastal nations.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 14
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
14.1
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.1.1
(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.2.1
Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
14.3
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
14.3.1
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
14.4.1
14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
14.5.1
14.6
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
14.6.1
Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
14.7
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
14.7.1
Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries
14.a
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
14.a.1
14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
14.b.1
Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries
14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"
14.c.1
Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources
SDG 14 targets covered
Name | Description |
---|---|
14.4 | By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics |
14.5 | By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information |
14.b | Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets |
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Title | Progress Status | Submitted |
---|---|---|
Partnership Progress 2019-06-05 | On track | |
Partnership Progress 2018-04-10 | On track |
Feedback
Action Network
Timeline
Entity
SDGs
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Ocean Basins
Communities of Ocean Action
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Peter Hammarstedt, Director of Global Campaigns