On 20 – 21 June 2024 in Maputo, Mozambique, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the Regional Technical Team (RTT) for the SADC Fisheries Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) organised an orientation meeting for the Board of Directors (BoD) of the MCSCC. This meeting aimed to provide the Board of Directors with a comprehensive understanding of the MCSCC and its activities.

The meeting follows significant developments in the SADC fisheries sector, including the adoption of the SADC Protocol on Fisheries in 2001, the Statement of Commitment on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2008, and the entry into force of the Charter for the Establishment of the SADC Regional Fisheries MCSCC in April 2023. This Charter led to the appointment of the BoD of the SADC MCSCC, who will play a crucial role in providing strategic guidance aligned with the Charter’s objectives.

The BoD, approved by the SADC Ministers of Fisheries, serve as one of the MCSCC’s governance structures and are tasked with leveraging their expertise to set the strategic direction for the MCSCC. They report to the SADC Committee of Ministers responsible for Fisheries.

During the opening of the meeting, Honourable Dr Lidia Cardoso, the Minister of Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries of Mozambique, commended the Member States for their efforts in advancing SADC fisheries. She emphasized the pivotal role of fisheries in poverty eradication and economic sustainability, as well as the importance of cohesive policies, regulations, and controls exemplified by the MCSCC.

The orientation meeting provided the BoD with updates on ongoing projects and potential future opportunities from partner organizations supporting the MCSCC, including Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF), World Wide Fund (WWF), FishFORCE Academy, the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the Benguela Current Convention (BCC), and The International Labour Organization (ILO) of the United Nations.

Furthermore, the BoD received a tour of the Interim Offices of the MCSCC where Per Erik Bergh, of SIF, gave the group a glimpse of how the satellite technology works, explaining how the MCSCC State Parties cooperation and communication via the secure regional communications platform has led to tightening the net around the illegal operators in the region. The BoD also toured the site of the official MCSCC offices under construction in Ka-Tembe where the foundation stone was laid by His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique on 22 April 2024. This meeting was two days full of enthusiasm, activity, knowledge sharing, and hope for the future; with two decades worth of fisheries policies and activities jam-packed in those days.

The Board meeting received support from various projects, including the Oceans Vigilance project implemented by SIF and sponsored by Oceans 5, and other initiatives including WWF Mozambique, the FishFORCE Academy and AU-IBAR.