The Atlantic Project, launched on the 20th February 2024, in the Republic of Angola, in Luanda, aims to support SADC countries to deal efficiently with illegal fishing.
Countries part of the initiative are Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.
The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem which is shared by Angola, Namibia, and South Africa is one of the main areas of focus. There partners are implenting Regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance (MCS) activities related to fishing, with funding from the Embassy of the United States (US) in Botswana.
Carmen dos Santos, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources for the Republic of Angola, said curbing illegal fishing activities, is a priority for Angola, and thus the country has implemented regional instruments for monitoring, control, and surveillance of fishing activities.
She said both coastal and landlocked SADC Member States, including Angola face challenges related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing due increasing demand for fish and fisheries products.
She also said there is a need for the SADC region to intensify monitoring and control measures, including vessel tracking, information exchange, enforcement of laws and regulations, harmonisation of MCS processes, implementation of stringent measures and intelligent systems to address illegal fishing.
Fisheries in the SADC region yield substantial economic benefits, including fish production of about 3,7 million tons of fish, with exports of fish and fishery products at about US$ 2.3 billion, accounting for 31% of Africa’s total exports of fish and fishery products in 2022.
They also provide direct and indirect employment to about 3.5 million SADC citizens and contribute to the region’s food and nutrition security.