SIF has provided support to port inspections in Maputo, Mozambique; using body cameras and remote online support, inspectors are being mentored through pre-inspection checks and vessel inspections.

Developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that expert mentoring planned to take place in country was no longer possible, the remote mentoring scheme is being welcomed as an innovative solution that will provide much needed support to frontline officers.

The successful piloting of body cameras with live streaming capabilities and real time online support has taken place in cooperation with the Ports Task Force Ghana, an interagency group established to implement effective port State measures implementation in Ghana. A number of supported vessel inspections have taken place in Tema and Takoradi, Ghana

The first inspection in Maputo took place on 8 December with the inspection of a Mozambican flagged trawler. A full inspection involved checks on gear, catch, log books, vessel registration and safety documents and confirmatory checks on the vessel identity.

JD Kotze provided expert support and guided inspectors in the use of the equipment. He said, “The initial use of body cameras in Maputo has been very successful. The system is now tried and tested, and the inspectors are adapting quickly to this method of working and appreciate the immediate support and guidance that we can offer.”

The system has been developed to enable online participation from national monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) or fisheries officials. The opportunity for other colleagues and senior officers to be watching inspections, in real time or from the recording, enables them to oversee the inspection, even if they are based in a city far away from the port, and this offers an excellent opportunity for them to evaluate officer’s performance and also to give positive feedback to encourage improved performance.

Leonid Santana Chimarizene, Diector of Fisheries in Mozambique, said, “With so much MCS activity limited by COVID restrictions it is good to see the continued support for the implementation of port State measures. On the job training is a valuable way of building capacity amongst our inspectors and helps us to develop improved procedures for vessel inspections.”

Sandy Davies, Stop Illegal Fishing, said, “Stop Illegal Fishing is delighted to be working with the authorities in Mozambique. A sufficiently staffed, adequately trained and well-informed inspectorate, operationally well integrated with other elements of the monitoring, control and surveillance system is essential for effective port State implementation. The Port State Measures to Stop Illegal Fishing (PSM-SIF) initiative is providing help where it is needed most — on the ground and in the port.”

The programme will be rolled out to additional ports in Mozambique over the coming weeks. A trial inspection is also planned to take place in Madagascar in December 2020.

Since 2018 Stop Illegal Fishing has been working with the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries in Mozambique to effectively implement the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), though the PSM-SIF initiative. The PSM-SIF initiative is funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Global Programme Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Special Initiative.