The President of the Association of African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean, and Minister for Fisheries and Aqua Culture Development, Hon. Sherry Ayittey, has reiterated the need for member states to continue to cooperate to eradicate the negative effects of Illegal, Unreported And Unregulated, (IUU) fishing.

The Fisheries Minister stressed that international and regional cooperation is an effective and decisive asset against IUU fishing.

She noted that due to lack of control and monitoring systems, the region has become a potentially attractive place for IUU fishing, which has not only grown in intensity but has also taken different forms.

These practices, she said, represent yearly shortfall of nearly 50 billion US dollars leading to significant loss of growth opportunities and solutions to alleviate poverty.

Hon. Ayittey noted that the member states of the Association of African States Bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO) need their entire wealth for their economic and social development and particularly their fisheries resources. She reminded colleague ministers that fishing in the region with more than 450 million people can represent up to 18% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 25%-30% of export earnings.

“It also employs about 7 million people and is a major source of food for the local population while providing sustainable livelihood for large coastal communities,” she stated.

Speaking at the 9th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Ministers of ATLAFCO, Hon. Ayittey stressed that IUU fishing is a global scourge that continues to undermine the development strategies of the fisheries sector and threatens the sustainability of food resources of member countries.

According to her, international and regional cooperation is an effective tool in the fight against IUU and therefore members must declare their firm commitment to mobilize and develop their capacity to better manage their fisheries sector.

She noted that the fisheries sector is a strategic sector for the fight against poverty and a key factor for economic growth.

“It also contributes significantly to food security, job security and foreign exchange earnings,” she added.

The Minister averred that taking into account the spirit of cooperation and partnership to achieve their priority action programmes; she is convinced that the principles and guidelines of the Convention of ATLAFCO should remain major guides for fisheries cooperation in the region.

She averred that in order to overcome the current situation, ATLAFCO member states must act quickly and put in place a foundation for comprehensive vision for an innovative regional integration and foster coordination among all partners.

This, she said will promote the development of consensus on any matter to be discussed in international organizations dealing with fisheries matters.

Hon. Ayittey revealed that ATLAFCO has established the African Network of Women in Fisheries (RAFEP) in recognition of the significant role women play to boost the fisheries industry especially in the areas of value addition, marketing and fish trade.

She expressed a wish that this laudable initiative would go beyond facilitating the formation of women groups in member states to include technical and financial support for the implementation of their activities and programmes.

The minister appealed Development Partners, especially the European Union and Japan to provide technical and financial support to build RAFEP’s capacity to achieve its goals and objectives.