Strengthen Regional Mechanisms of Coordination to Combat IUU Fishing in West African - TCP/SFW/3805
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The issue of overfishing presents a global catastrophe and an urgent concern, posing one of the most significant threats to marine ecosystems. Currently, statistics indicate that more than one third of evaluated fish populations are deemed "overfished" and over half are categorized as "maximally sustainably fished" (The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022). Central to the overfishing crisis is the problem of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.According to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West Africa region suffers an annual average loss of USD 2 billion due to the theft of maritime resources and illegal fishing activities. Placing responsible fishers who operate within the confines of their fishing authorizations at an unfair disadvantage, IUU fishing leads to the collapse of local fisheries, undermines small-scale artisanal fishing, and disrupts the livelihoods of coastal communities reliant on fish products for sustenance and economic stability, thereby exacerbating issues of poverty and food security. Furthermore, IUU fishing undermines national and regional conservation efforts by exploiting corrupt administrations and taking advantage of weak management systems, particularly in countries lacking adequate resources for MCS.