Illegal Fishing in Western Indian Ocean Region
By Andrew Mwangura
Emai; thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The recent impounding of the Kenyan flagged fishing vessel _FV_ _Maab_ _Aqua_ in Madagascar reminds us about the de-registration of six Kenyan flagged Chinese fishing vessels by the government of Kenya in 2021.
Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) deregistered the following fishing vessels: Lu Qing Yuan Yu 160, Lu Qing Yuan Yu 157, Lu Qing Yuan Yu 156, Lu Qing Yuan Yu 159, Lu Qing Yuan Yu 158, and Lu Qing Yuan Yu 155.
The authority withdrew the fishing licences of the six vessels for allegedly mistreating Kenyan crews and indulging in illegal, unreported and unregistered (IUU) fishing activities.
The vessels were authorised by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission to fish along the Western Indian Ocean region as from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2031.
KMA deregistered the vessels following complaints from the Kenyan crew members of the fishing vessels and they were found liable for contravening Kenyan fishing laws
The vessels are owned and managed by Qingdad Yung Tung Palagic Fisheries Limited.
Kenya loses between 11 and 26 million tons of seafood annually due to IUU fishing activities along its territorial waters.
Following the impounding of _Maab_ _Aqua_ in Madagascar, Kenya government must improve its licensing and vetting protocols so as to intensify its monitoring and surveillance mechanisms.
There is also a need to enhance its enforcement response through the Kenya Fisheries Services and the Coast Guards to ensure its territorial waters are in lock and key.
IUU fishing poses significant threats to marine ecosystems and global fish stocks.
Illegal fishing is conducted in violation of national laws or international agreements.
This includes fishing without a license or in protected areas while unreported fishing is done without reporting to the relevant authorities of the catches leading to gaps in data and management.
Unregulated fishing occurs in areas where there are no effective management measures in place, often involving fleets that evade regulation with impacts on ecosystem damage.
Such IUU activities disrupt the marine biodiversity and can lead to overfishing of certain species, thus depleting them for humanity consumption.
They also have economic consequences that can affect livelihoods of legal fishers and harm local economies reliant on sustainable fishing practices.
They can endanger food security by compromising the access to fish as a vital source of protein for many a communities globally.
In order to stop this, there is urgent need for the implementation of stronger regulations to enforce stricter fishing laws, international agreements and international plan of action against IUU fishing.
Monitoring and Surveillance of the same can be done through the utilisation of technology such as satellite tracking to monitor fishing activities.
Collaboration, through international cooperation among countries, is a crucial cog in sharing data and resources for combating IUU fishing.
Efforts must be made to address IUU fishing for the sustainability of marine resources management and the health of oceans’ ecosystems.
