Following the establishment of the SADC Regional Fisheries MCSCC and the appointment of its Board of Directors (BoD), the SADC Secretariat, along with the Regional Technical Team (RTT) for the SADC Fisheries MCSCC and partner organisations, continue to put in significant efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. To support these efforts the 17th meeting of the RTT was held on June 19, 2024, in Maputo, Mozambique.

The meeting was opened by Maria Ascenção Ribeiro Pinto, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries of Mozambique, who emphasized that this meeting marked a significant milestone and represents the journey of the progress made in combating IUU fishing and organised fisheries crimes in the SADC region.

The appointment of the BoD is another significant milestone in guiding the MCSCC to achieve its purpose as outlined in the MCSCC Charter. During the meeting, the RTT prepared to hand over matters they have been guiding to the BoD. The RTT also reviewed the Terms of Reference for a consultancy to update the SADC MCSCC Sustainability Plan and discussed the implementation of MCS activities by the Interim Project Management Unit (IPMU). Updates were provided from projects supporting the MCSCC.

The RTT meeting received support from various projects, including the Oceans Vigilance project, implemented by SIF and sponsored by Oceans 5, as well from WWF in Mozambique and support from the FishFORCE Academy.