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“Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains widespread in our region, causing an estimated loss of more than $2 billion per year, which has a negative impact on the livelihoods and security of our countries.” This was the statement of Ambassador Abdel-Fatau MUSAH, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, at the opening of the technical meeting of Member States’ Experts on the issue of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in West Africa, which began this Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. The work of this meeting was officially launched by H.E. Mr. Sidi Tiémoko TOURE, Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources of Côte d’Ivoire.
Around fifty experts from ECOWAS Member States and the Commission, as well as regional organizations dealing with environmental protection and fisheries issues, will meet from March 18 to 21, 2025 in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, to discuss the issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) in West Africa.
The work of this meeting follows a recommendation of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, which at its 65th Ordinary Session, held in Abuja in July 2024, instructed the ECOWAS Commission to put in place a strengthened framework for the fight against IUU fishing and to initiate discussions with external partners with a view to combating IUU fishing and the dumping of toxic materials associated with it in the regional maritime domain.
The opening ceremony of this meeting was marked by three different speeches. Speaking on behalf of Mr. FOFANA Abroulaye, Permanent Secretary of State Action at Sea (SEPCIM), Colonel KOUADIO Aké José Nicole, Director of Administration and Legal Affairs, recalled that IUU fishing represents a serious threat to our maritime resources and undermines not only the integrity of our oceans but also the food security and livelihoods of millions of citizens in our region.
After thanking the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire on behalf of H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission for their continued support to the programs implemented by ECOWAS, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau MUSAH recalled the importance of this meeting and maritime security for the growth of the sub-regional economy. “The maritime sector is undoubtedly one of the driving forces of the economy of our region. It is therefore obvious that the implementation of structured investments and the development of a regional IUU code will guide our priority action plan. Threats related to IUU fishing, which constitute an obstacle to the ECOWAS regional integration agenda, peace and security, affect overall economic growth and development and compromise the livelihoods of coastal communities,” concluded the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
Officially opening the meeting, Minister Sidi Tiémoko TOURE stated that the maritime domain of ECOWAS member states, one of the most biodiverse maritime areas in the world, is an essential pillar for food security and the livelihoods of millions of people. However, according to the Ivorian Minister of Animal and Fisheries Resources, this wealth is seriously threatened by IUU fishing practices, which represent a multifaceted threat on the ecological, economic, and social levels.
“The organization of this workshop is a welcome initiative because it is important to establish a regional cooperation framework to improve the sustainable and integrated use of ocean resources in West Africa, by stimulating inclusive economic growth through a concerted and effective regional fight against IUU fishing,” said the Minister.
The meeting was attended by ECOWAS Departments and Technical Directorates, including Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Agriculture, Environment, as well as Regional Organizations such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the African Development Bank (ADB), the Fisheries Committee of the West Central Gulf of Guinea and the Fisheries Commissions of Senegal.
During the 3 days of consultation, the participants will have to take stock of the fight against IUU fishing in each Member State in collaboration with the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commissions; and develop a roadmap to facilitate the harmonization of national fisheries laws, in particular the fight against illegal fishing which will take into account, among other things, the cooperation mechanism for sharing information, the framework for collaboration on the pooling of financial and human resources, ways to increase the financial resources allocated to the fight against illegal fishing, the establishment of a platform for sharing experiences and lessons learned to disseminate good practices in the region and the harmonization of the collection of statistics.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).