John Ekongo
5 October 2005
Windhoek — DOZENS of delegates from nine countries affiliated to the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) are attending a three-day second annual meeting of the Commission of SEAFO that got underway in Windhoek yesterday.
The SEAFO meeting will look at issues affecting the fisheries and marine world at par with the SEAFO Convention.
Some of the highlights are issues such as the conservation and management of fisheries resources for the nine-member organisation.
Among other deliberations is the issue of illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing (IUU) which is expected to enjoy prominence from fisheries and marine resources experts delegated to the meeting that is taking place in Windhoek.
According to Dr Abraham Iyambo, Namibia's Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing causes losses globally of close to N$90 billion annually. Iyambo made these remarks when he opened the conference.
"The greatest threat to sustainability of fisheries resources in high seas is - the demon - the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). IUU fishing undermines the effectiveness of conservation and management of the world's fisheries resources," said Iyambo.
It is for this particular reason that Iyambo appealed to participants to base their deliberations around this topic. He said there are a number of international agreements created specifically to combat IUU. This includes the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement, the Compliance Agreement and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing.
Despite these instruments, illegal fishing continues unabated, stressed Iyambo. "We have spent precious resources and time developing these instruments. Why are IUU vessels still able to off-load at ports under the nose of certain port states and find lucrative markets for their illicit cargos?" enquired the fisheries minister.
He however expressed hope that participants would discuss the issue in detail, seeing that the organisers of the meeting have listed the burning issue as part of its agenda.
"I am happy to see that you have included in your elaborate agenda among others, modalities of formalising the Compliance Committee as well as System of Observation, Inspection and Enforcement," said Iyambo.
Iyambo further noted, "I have no doubt that SEAFO can become an indispensable organisation for cooperation and sound management. I have all the reasons to be optimistic that SEAFO can become a shining example by effectively addressing those issues," he concluded his address.
The SEAFO Convention is the first international fisheries agreement establishing a regional organization to manage and conserve fish stocks following the adoption of the UN fish Stocks Agreements in 1995.
The Convention provides for a management regime ensuring long-term conservation and sustainable use of fish resources on the high seas of the South East Atlantic Ocean.
SEAFO will be responsible for the imposition and maintenance of such regime through the establishment and implementation of conservation and management measures.
The headquarters of SEAFO are located in Namibia, and was opened in March 2005. Since the Convention was signed in 2001, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Namibia acted as an Interim Secretariat. The Commission is the policy and decision-making body of SEAFO, and Angola was also welcomed as the newest member of the Commission at yesterday's gathering.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2005 New Era. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
