The future of our ocean will not be determined solely by what happens on the high seas. It will be determined by whether the people who depend on the ocean most are empowered to protect it.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is often described as an environmental crime. It is. But it is also a governance challenge, a development challenge, and increasingly, a question of global equity.
Every year, illegal fishing strips billions of dollars from coastal economies, undermines food security, weakens trust in institutions, and threatens the livelihoods of millions of small-scale fishers. The burden falls disproportionately on developing coastal states and fishing communities that contribute least to the problem yet bear its greatest costs.
For too long, powerful fishing interests operating through opaque ownership structures and complex international networks have profited from marine resources while coastal communities face declining catches, shrinking incomes, and growing vulnerability. This is not only unsustainable; it is fundamentally unjust.
No nation can solve this challenge alone.
That is why the Mombasa Declaration represents an important step forward. By committing governments to greater transparency in vessel ownership, licensing, and fishing activity, strengthening cross-border information sharing, and improving coordination against repeat offenders, the Declaration helps close the loopholes that have enabled illegal operators to evade accountability for too long.
But transparency and enforcement, while essential, are only part of the solution.
The most effective guardians of marine resources are often the people who depend on them every day.
Across Africa and the Global South, millions of small-scale fishers possess generations of knowledge about local ecosystems and sustainable resource use. They are not merely beneficiaries of ocean policy; they are indispensable partners in ocean governance.
Ghana has sought to translate this principle into action.
Through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), Ghana has expanded the Inshore Exclusion Zone from six to twelve nautical miles, strengthened co-management arrangements with fishing communities, and introduced tougher measures to combat illegal fishing.
In April 2026, Ghana established its first Marine Protected Area through a collaborative process involving local communities, civil society organisations and partners including Bloomberg Philanthropies. The initiative demonstrates a simple but powerful lesson: conservation succeeds when communities are owners of the process, not observers of it.
By restoring mangroves, protecting critical habitats and strengthening local stewardship, such efforts simultaneously advance biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, food security and sustainable livelihoods.
Investing in coastal communities is not charity. It is one of the smartest and most effective investments the world can make in ocean sustainability.
When communities have the tools, rights and resources to manage marine ecosystems sustainably, fish stocks recover, illegal activity declines, livelihoods improve and resilience grows. When they are excluded, environmental protections become harder to sustain and governance gaps widen.
The Mombasa Declaration provides an important framework for collective action. But declarations alone will not secure the future of our ocean. Its success will be measured by whether commitments are matched with investment, transparency with accountability, and policy ambition with genuine partnership with coastal communities.
The fight against illegal fishing is ultimately about more than protecting fish. It is about protecting people, safeguarding food security, strengthening coastal economies and ensuring that the benefits of the ocean are shared fairly and sustainably.
The future of ocean governance will be determined not only by what nations agree in conference halls, but by what we enable coastal communities to achieve on the shores where the health of our ocean is decided every day.
That is where lasting ocean stewardship begins. And that is where the world must invest its greatest effort.
