Ocean and Fisheries economist with the Fisheries Economics Research Unit of the University of British Columbia Of Canada, Professor Rashid Sumaila, has called for pooling of resources at both continental and regional level to tackle illegal and unreported fishing that fuel illicit trade.
Annual catch loss in West Africa is estimated at 787.800 tonnes with gross revenue loss of more than $1.1 million and net revenue loss of $ 437 million to the economies of West Africa.
Speaking with the Ghanaian Times after presenting a paper on “The cost of illicit trade in West Africa marine resources” at the University of Ghana on Friday Prof. Sumaila, the Volvo 2017 Environmental Prize Laureate, said there was the need for Africa’s rich natural resources to benefit people living in Africa.
The fisheries and ocean economist said Ghana lost 96,700 tonnes of marine resources annually to illicit trade with a gross revenue loss of $141.8 million saying “If we can prevent this losses to illicit trade, it will support many Ghanaians and improve their livelihoods.”
Prof. Sumaila expressed the need to raise awareness among the public, policy makers, the judiciary and other stakeholders about the negative economic, social and ecological effects of illicit trade in West Africa’s marine resources.
“There is the need to improve national, regional and continental fisheries policies and legislation and harmonise and enforce laws and codes of practice regarding illegal and illicit dealings in fishery resources,” he said.
Prof. Sumaila said continental bodies like Economic Community of West Africa States, the African Union, the Africa Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Africa needed to work more closely to explore and eliminate obstacles to cooperation.
He spoke on the need for more international efforts and measures and similarly international policy makers needed to include Africa in their efforts “since we essentially have one global ocean.”
Ghana is battling with illegal unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign and domestic industrial fishing fleets as well as by artisanal fishing vessels for commercial purposes.
According to the statistics, the fishery sub-sector generates over one billion dollars in revenue per year in Ghana, accounts for 60 per cent of animal protein consumed in the country and employing 2.4 million people or 10 per cent of the population.
Prof. Sumaila said because of lack of financial and human means, technology and political will “illegal catches are unknown, misinterpreted and thus not considered in analysis,” adding “China is the main contributor to illegal catches today.”
He explained that a vessels fishing illegally in a country’s Exclusive Economic Zones when it failed to have a fishing license, authorisation or permit adding “all activities by illegal fleets that might be illegal(illegal fishing gear, fishing in prohibited zones etc. )under the legislation of a country were considered unregulated.
The channels of illicit trade in West Africa, according to Prof Sumaila involves the use of reefers and transshipment in offloading boats onto large freezers and processing ships at high sea.
The Sustainable Development Goals 14 aims to sustainably manage and protect marine coastal ecosystem, as over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.
It is estimated that 30 per cent of the World’s fish stock are over exploited reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields and the global agenda is to conserve the marine resources for the benefit of both current and future generations.
By Salifu Abdul-Rahaman
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