The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that Mozambique faces a “silent and destructive adversary” in illegal fishing and has expressed its willingness to support the implementation of a new enforcement project called Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MSC).
“The fisheries sector in Mozambique has been facing a silent and destructive adversary—illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. This initiative represents a determined response by the government and partners to improve the capacity for monitoring, control, and surveillance of both industrial and small-scale coastal and exclusive economic zone fishing,” said José Fernandez, the FAO representative in the country.
Speaking in Maputo during the launch ceremony of the MSC, Fernandez stated that the country loses approximately $70 million annually due to illegal activities in the fisheries sector, which threaten resource sustainability and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
“This illegal activity undermines legitimate operations, compromises the goals of sustainable development, and is intrinsically linked to crimes such as corruption and fraud,” he emphasized.
According to Lusa, the new project, developed by the government in partnership with the FAO, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and funded by Norway, aims to ensure effective implementation of national policies and strategies, protect biodiversity, and promote socioeconomic development.
The Secretary of State for the Sea and Fisheries, Momade Juízo, said the initiative “aligns with the government’s priority of promoting a sustainable, job-creating blue economy,” noting that Mozambique was chosen by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to host the Regional Coordination Center for Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCSCC), currently nearing completion, which will strengthen oversight and combat illegal fishing operators in the region.
“As the host country of this regional center, we hope to capitalize and derive maximum benefit from this asset, which is why we call on implementers to allocate the majority of resources to field actions, where the challenge of combating maritime crimes is urgent,” added the official.
The National Maritime Spatial Planning (POEM), previously approved by the government, indicates that Mozambique’s maritime area covers approximately 572,000 square kilometers, which is “subject to threats including overfishing, unregulated exploitation of natural resources, inappropriate tourism practices, pollution, extreme weather events (such as storms and cyclones), and coastal urban and industrial development.”
Source: Diário Económico
