Study and analysis of the IUU fishing situation in the SADC region and an estimate of the economic, social and biological impact of this situation

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global issue with many harmful environmental, economic and social impacts.  IUU fishing generally thrives where weak governance arrangements prevail.  Developing countries bear the greatest losses from illegal fishing, with recent studies suggesting that sub-Saharan Africa loses US$1 billion to illegal fish catches each year.  Therefore the need for strengthened fisheries governance at national and regional levels has been increasingly recognized by the international community in recent years.  As a follow on action from the involvement by the Hon. Ministers responsible for fisheries in Namibia and the United Kingdom (UK), Dr Iyambo and Mr Bradshaw in the International High Seas Task Force the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the British Government cooperatied to implement a one million USD programme to support an African Policy Process aimed at Tackling IUU fishing within Southern Africa.

This study contributed to a more accurate estimate of IUU fishing in the region, building on work developed in the Global IUU Monitoring Network, in order to increase the understanding of IUU fishing in the Southern African countries of Angola, DRC, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania.  The study explored and quantified the relationship between IUU fishing in the region and its impact on the economies of the countries and region, the socio-economic and nutritional impact on the people of the region and the biological impact on the fish stocks.

The study supported the process of defining the declaration and prioritizing actions to implement the declaration and presented the findings in forms to be used within the Ministerial Conference and the publicity associated with this conference.