Southern African Development Community

Stop Illegal Fishing work together with the SADC Secretariat and SADC member countries in developing policy towards tackling IUU fishing and implementing the SADC Statement of Commitment on IUU Fishing, in particular their MCS Task Force.

The SADC countries, in the SADC Protocol on Fisheries state their commitment to fight IUU fishing and these commitments were elaborated more fully in the 2008 SADC Statement of Commitment on IUU Fishing that was negotiated with support from Stop Illegal Fishing. Within this Statement the foundation of an MCS Task Force exists with the principal job to pave the way for a regional MCS centre for the southern African region. Stop Illegal Fishing has been working with the countries, through the Task Force and the Secretariat to help realise this centre. Stop Illegal Fishing has shared tools and provided technical assistance to this process.

The SADC Secretariat, has been a long-standing partner to Stop Illegal Fishing, they participate in the FISH-i Africa Task Force and have engaged in various training and meetings that Stop Illegal Fishing has held in the region throughout the lifetime of Stop Illegal Fishing.