The United Republic of Tanzania hosted risk assessment workshops in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam on the 12 –13 and 15 – 16 August 2024. These workshops aimed to create awareness about the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) functions and work and to provide theoretical and practical training in IUU risk assessment for assessing the legality of fisheries operators and their vessels. The risk assessment methods and procedures can be used for operators applying for fishing licences, port entry or registration and will form an important building block for the SADC Regional Register of Fishing Vessels. The training was targeted at relevant local agencies that are involved in port operations.

Dr. Motseki Hlatshwayo, Technical Advisor for Fisheries, SADC Secretariat gave the participants an overview of the process leading up to where the SADC MCSCC is today.  He recalled the journey of regional cooperation for the protection of the region’s fisheries, which started with the 2001 Protocol on Fisheries and the 2008 Statement of Commitment to combat IUU fishing in the region. In 2017, Ministers signed a Charter for the Establishment of the SADC MCSCC, which came into force in April 2023 after two-third of SADC Members ratified the Charter.

He expressed appreciation of the SADC Oceans Vigilance project and the workshops to help Member States like Tanzania engage more fully in the MCSCC.

Stop Illegal fishing supported the workshop, SIF representatives Per Erik Bergh and JD Kotze, and Stig Fjellberg from TMT provided information and training in fisheries policy and legal frameworks and how these relate to risk the assessment framework and decision making, technical aspects of conducting risk assessments, the mechanisms that support national cooperation and information exchange, as well as insight into the regional cooperation offered by the MCSCC.

This training forms part of a series of workshops and trainings organised by SADC MCSCC Ocean Vigilance project technically supported by Stop Illegal Fishing and TMT and with funding support from Oceans Vigilance.