Annual Report
Stop Illegal Fishing Annual Report 2019
As we look back on 2019 Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF) has taken time to stop and reflect on the global ambition to end IUU fishing by 2020, which was formulated as part of the United Nations (UNs) sustainable development goals (SDGs). This goal is at the heart of SIF’s vision to create sustainable and equitable fisheries in Africa.
With a growing world population, a global climate emergency and ocean pollution all placing pressure on our land and marine resources the need to ensure that fish are caught, landed, traded and processed legally, abiding by national and international legal frameworks and complying with conservation and management measures, has never been greater. SIF was initially established to provide support to regional policy processes: to galvanise action and commitment. More than a decade later this remains our focus and we have developed proven models of working that put national monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) efforts at the heart of what we do.
We have seen, through the development and evolution of both the FISH-i Africa and West Africa Task Forces that national efforts need to be linked in and work cooperatively with neighbouring States. Cooperation is also necessary at the international level – to share information, to take enforcement action, and to influence and inform the global efforts to stop illegal fishing. As more regions look to adopt the ‘task force’ model of working we hope that we can share our knowledge and make connections around the world of like-minded groups who are fighting IUU fishing.
2019 has been an exciting year for our organisation as we work closely with partners in Ghana, Madagascar and Mozambique to support the implementation of the Port Sate Measures Agreement (PSMA). In force since 2016, the PSMA offers a tangible, practical process for blocking market access for illegally caught fish. By helping to establish interagency mechanisms for PSMA and by working with fisheries inspectors in port we are building on the ground capacity, identifying common stumbling blocks, and gaining real insight and practical tools that we hope will come to inform and support implementation of port State measures around the world.
In recent years we have seen an explosion of interest in the blue economy. As expectations of blue growth place new pressure on the marine environment it is important to remember that a thriving and sustainable blue economy assumes a compliant marine andfisheries sector.
The systematic and persistent nature of many illegal fishing operations and the close links to other criminal activity such as drug, wildlife and human trafficking make a compelling case to prioritise action against illegal fishing in order to protect all ocean based economic activity.
We welcome the opportunity to share this overview of our activity during 2019 with you. We have focussed on our key activity areas and include links to our reportsand publications that will provide you with furtherinsight into the issues we work with and our approach to tackling them.
Elsa Patria, Chairperson of Stop Illegal Fishing