Zahor El Kharousy, Executive Committee Member

Zahor is the Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries Development in Zanzibar, focusing on policy development regarding fisheries trade that includes import and export, traceability and certification.

In 2011 Zahor was appointed the first Deputy Director General of the newly established Tanzania Deep Sea Fishing Authority (DSFA) and its Director General two years later. During the five years he spent at the DSFA he was faced with the challenge of managing the EEZ of Tanzania and in particular fighting its widespread IUU problem.

‘Experience has shown that, while countries in Africa are increasingly becoming more engaged in the fight against IUU fishing (both at individual and collective levels) the presence and active engagement of Stop Illegal Fishing remain crucial and essential.’

Zahor’s efforts towards fighting IUU varied from bringing potential IUU cases to the IOTC, breaking a network issuing fraudulent Tanzanian fishing licenses and de-flagging of Tanzanian vessels that failed to meet international obligations. Further efforts included active engagement in regional initiatives to combat IUU fishing, like regional air and sea patrols and FISH-i Africa, the Task Force of which he is one of the founding representatives.