The inception of the Southern African Community Development (SADC) Atlantic Project took place on 20thFebruary 2024, in the Republic of Angola, in Luanda.
The primary goal of the project is to support the coordinated efforts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa to mitigate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and organised crime in the fisheries industry. This initiative is one of many carried out by the SADC Regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC).
The SADC Atlantic Project aims to enhance inter-regional collaboration and foster sustainable practices in order to support economic growth, promote environmental responsibility, and safeguard fisheries, with a specific focus on the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem which is shared by Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. The project is primarily focused on implementing coordinated Regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance (MCS) activities related to fishing. It is funded by the Embassy of the United States (US) in Botswana and is an initiative of the MCSCC, situated in Maputo, Mozambique.
During the inception event, Her Excellency, Ms. Carmen dos Santos, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources for the Republic of Angola, emphasised her government's commitment to curbing illegal fishing activities through the implementation of regional instruments for monitoring, control, and surveillance of fishing activities.
She highlighted that both coastal and landlocked SADC Member States, including Angola, on several instances face challenges related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing due increasing demand for fish and fisheries products.
Furthermore, Minister dos Santos expressed gratitude for the support extended to Angola in enhancing the capabilities of its monitoring, control, and surveillance workforce, which would in turn bolster their competencies in combating illegal fishing. She emphasised the need for SADC region to intensify monitoring and control measures, including vessel tracking, information exchange, enforcement of laws and regulations, harmonisation of MCS processes, implementation of stringent measures and intelligent systems to address illegal fishing.
Dr. Motseki Hlatshwayo, the Fisheries Technical Advisor at the SADC Secretariat, expressed appreciation to the Government of Angola for their valuable support towards the SADC Atlantic Project and other regional initiatives. He emphasised the importance of fostering regional cooperation and coordination among SADC Member States and commended the assistance provided by cooperating partners such as the American Government in enhancing national and regional capacities in managing fish and fisheries. He expressed confidence that Angola would experience similar positive impacts from the project as Namibia and South Africa have already achieved.
The US Embassy in Luanda demonstrated support to the initiative by donating body cameras which will help the officials to facilitate remote monitoring and inspections of fish on fishing vessels and related fisheries activities.
In addition to the launch, training sessions were conducted in Luanda and Lobito for the MCS workforce, with a focus on carrying out risk assessments for fishing vessels. The sessions also included coaching, monitoring activities, and skills development to effectively utilise the newly acquired tools. Moreover, the project will strengthen the capacity to analyse risks associated with fishing vessels, thereby enhancing the validation of risk assessment procedures.
Fisheries in the SADC region yield substantial economic benefits, including fish production of about 3,7 million tons of fish, with exports of fish and fishery products at about US$ 2.3 billion, accounting for 31% of Africa’s total exports of fish and fishery products in 2022. They also provide direct and indirect employment to about 3.5 million SADC citizens and contribute to the region's food and nutrition security.
