News
West Africa Task Force meets in Benin
The Third West Africa Task Force (WATF) meeting took place in Cotonou, Benin from the 24th – 26th October 2016. The six Task Force member countries of Benin, Côte D’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo attended the meeting together with observers representing the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the INTERPOL Fisheries Crime Working Group (FCWG) and INTERPOL. The meeting, building on commitments made in the previous Task force meetings, reviewed recent cases, discussed the development of tools for cooperation, and planned for future activities.
This was the first time observers were invited to a WATF meeting, and their presence was welcomed. They presented on the ways their organisations could collaborate with the Task Force and support the fight against illegal fishing in the region. Mario Alciade from INTERPOL stated he was impressed with the level of cooperation already taking place, and encouraged Task Force members to continue sharing information. “There is no perfect crime, just one that has not been solved,” he stated.
Mr. Seraphin Dedi, Secretary General of Fisheries Committee for West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) emphasized the need to protect the regions marine resources, noting that the Task Force is already implementing one of the outcomes from the recent African Union Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security and Safety and Development in Africa held in Lome, Togo on the 15th October 2016; coordinated action between African countries to combat fisheries crime.
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Honourable Delphin O. Koudande opened the meeting on behalf of Benin stating that the Task Force is important to the management of fisheries resources in the waters of the six States. He applauded the initiative and highlighted the need for collective action and the implementation of national and regional frameworks. “IUU fishing is a threat to fisheries resources. It destroys habitats and jeopardizes governance efforts. In order to effectively implement our legislations and limit the access of illegal fish to the market, collective action such as this is needed.”
The Task Force is facilitated by the FCWC Secretariat and supported by a Technical Team that includes TMT, SIF and NFDS with funding from Norad.