Award winning
2015 – Margarita Lizárraga Medal 2014-2015
Awarded biennially by the FAO, the award recognizes those who have served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
SIF’s achievements were described as ‘outstanding, practical, tangible and sustainable as well as catalytic’ by Árni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the FAO.
Speaking at the award ceremony Per Erik Bergh, SIF Coordinator, highlighted the work of the FISH-i Africa Task Force, ‘our work with FISH-i has demonstrated that some of the ugliest, most destructive organised crimes against humanity and the environment occur in the fisheries sector. To fight this, we do not compete with, or replace, any government, inter-governmental or NGO process – we add value. We tap into an additional energy and network to support these processes.’
‘We have always been guided by the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and therefore the recognition offered by this Medal is extremely important to us, it has inspired us, we are proud.’
On awarding the Medal the FAO stated that ‘SIF was selected in recognition of an excellent African example of what can be achieved to stop IUU fishing by demonstrating that a lot can be accomplished with relatively small resources through good networking, the sharing of information, regional and international cooperation, and a strong commitment to stop IUU fishing.’
SIF dedicated the award to Geofrey Nanyaro, our founding Chairperson who sadly passed away earlier in 2015. ‘Geofrey embodied the qualities that make SIF a success. He was an inspirational man of great integrity who was prepared to stand up for fairness and justice.’
2014 – IMCS Network‘s Stop IUU Fishing Award Contest, 3rd place
The award ceremony took place at the Fourth Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) in Costa Rica. Stop Illegal Fishing Chairperson Geofrey Nanyaro and Coordinator Per Erik Bergh accepted the award on behalf of all those who have contributed to the success of Stop Illegal Fishing over the last seven years.
Stop Illegal Fishing was acknowledged as being effective in coordinating approaches, influencing policies, building capacity and providing tools and strategies required to tackle illegal fishing at national, regional and international levels. It was noted that partnerships with governments, regional and continental organisations, civil society, monitoring control and surveillance practitioners, NGOs, intergovernmental organisations and the fishing industry have put Stop Illegal Fishing in a unique position to facilitate actions against illegal fishing.