The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the SADC Regional Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) on the 22nd of April 2024 in Ka-Tembe, Maputo, Mozambique. The SADC Secretariat delegation was led by the Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angéle Makombo N`Tumba. This ceremony marks a significant milestone in the construction of the MCSCC and represents a journey toward progress and growth in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and organised fisheries crimes. The foundation stone for the MCSCC was laid by His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique.
Following approval of the Charter establishing the SADC MCSCC by SADC Council of Ministers in August 2017, in Pretoria, South Africa, the Charter entered into force on 08th April 2023 after reaching two-third majority of Member States. With this, the State Parties to the Charter namely, Republic of Angola, Republic of Botswana, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Mozambique, Republic of Namibia, Republic of South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Zambia established the MCSCC as an international organisation and an autonomous and self-accounting institution of SADC. The Republic of Seychelles became the Party to the Charter following accession in July 2023.
Speaking at the ceremony, the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary Ms. N`Tumbahighlighted the importance of MCSCC as a step for the SADC region to increase its ability to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and organised fisheries crimes. She further said that by working together, across sectors and countries, the region is better able to provide a united and integrated response to illegal activities and to protect SADC fisheries resources.
Her Excellency Lídia Cardoso, Minister of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries of the Republic of Mozambique commended SADC Member States for this important milestone which builds on the SADC Common Agenda and will deepen the integration agenda with a view to accelerating poverty eradication and the attainment of economic and sustainable development goals. By developing shared policies, regulations and controls the MCSCC is feeding into SADC integration milestones to develop a free trade area, customs union, and a common market.
The MCSCC is currently coordinating regional fisheries MCS data and information sharing services and will in the near future coordinate development and management of a regional fishing vessel register and monitoring system; provision of regional fisheries surveillance, observer coordination and port State measures support services; provision of fisheries law enforcement and legal support services; and help to support improvements in the capacity of national MCS systems.
The event was attended by the community members of Ka-Tembe as this was a moment for them to appreciate the critical role that the MCSCC will play in their community with the economic development and empowerment that comes with it.
The SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration was accompanied to the Groundbreaking ceremony by Dr. Domingos Z. Gove, Director, Food Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Motseki Hlatshwayo, Technical Advisor: Fisheries and Dr Alexander Shula Kefi, PROFISHBLUE Project Coordinator
For more information about the MCSCC, please go to www.sadcmcscc.org.
