A four-day campaign conducted against illegal fishing off the coast of West Africa, co-funded by the European Union, resulted in one illegitimate vessel’s operations being shut down and the discovery of several other violations.
From 28 August to 1 September 2016, the West African Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) organized a regional operation at sea to control vessels fishing in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Guinea.
It was the first time the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) had taken part in such an exercise.
Under the coordination of SRFC, five patrol vessels and about 30 inspectors coming from the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Guinea took part in the "Pedro Cardoso Naco Operation."
Some 82 vessels were controlled and 14 infringements were detected.
Two industrial Chinese vessels were identified as fishing illegally in Guinea, in a zone closed to fishing activities for reasons of biological recovery. One of them managed to escape but the other one was sent to port to be sanctioned.
“The damage caused by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is undisputed. In the Gulf of Guinea – the region in the world most affected by this – IUU fishing accounts for more than a third of catches, to a value of up to EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.7 billion),” said Neven Mimica, E.U. Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development.
Mimica said the operation was a “concrete example” of the E.U.’s added value in supporting good cooperation between coastal states, regional organizations, development partners and technical agencies to fight illegal fishing and ensure that fisheries resources are used in a sustainable way to the benefit of coastal states and coastal communities.
Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said the operation was a prime example of the E.U.'s intensifying focus on eliminating IUU fishing globally.
"Fighting illegal fishing is a political priority for the E.U. Since we adopted new rules in 2010 to strengthen the E.U.'s fight against IUU fishing we have been working with countries around the world and in particular in West Africa to help them join us in this fight," Vella said. “Regional cooperation is key to fight the sophisticated networks behind illegal fishing. It is therefore very rewarding to see Western Africa pioneering this joint approach, and for the E.U. to be able to participate through the presence of an expert from our European Fisheries Control Agency. We hope this will be the first of many such campaigns."
