The impacts of Piracy on Fisheries in the Indian Ocean
Meeting - Tuesday, 28th of February 2012, 09:00 - Contance Ephelia Resort, Mahé, Republic of Seychelles
Rationale:
Piracy in the Indian Ocean has become a critical issue in the last decade: it has had serious impacts on the economies, regional research initiatives, livelihoods and food security issues in the region, and has severely impacted the fisheries sector. Piracy has affected more particularly the tuna fishing industry, the second main source of income of the Indian Ocean countries and islands.
Somali pirates frequently link their illicit activities to illegal fishing and dumping in Somali waters, which were reported as disrupting the coastal economies of the countries in the region. Paradoxically, the regional fishing industry has been significantly damaged by the threat of piracy. According to some reports, tuna catches in the Indian Ocean fell by 30% in 2008. This had a major impact on countries like the Seychelles that relies on the fishing industry for up to 40% of its earnings. Kenya and Tanzania have also seen a significant drop in vessels’ port calls and in the number of licences taken to fish in their waters.
While there has been increased international effort in dealing with piracy, the IMO says the situation has progressively deteriorated. Overall, piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden is symptomatic of the wider instability that has plagued the region since the early 1990s. A necessary prerequisite to fight pirates in the region is to build a strong government in Somalia to combat the major obstacles of instability and ineffective governance.
Aims:
This workshop will seek to bring together all major players of the South West Indian Ocean countries and islands, the affected stakeholders and key partners as well as donor countries to look at the effects of piracy on the fisheries in the region.
Piracy is purported as one of the outcomes of poor fisheries management in the region. There is therefore as well the need to improve fisheries management, including strengthening of fisheries regional cooperation among the South West Indian Ocean countries through the relevant management bodies.
The economic and social impacts of piracy will be examined, seeking to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, share experiences and formulate recommendations to mitigate the impacts of piracy in the region in the future.
Documents of the meeting
Press release Document Concept London Communique on piracy Participation form Formulaire de participation Informations pratiques Practical information Concept Paper Projet d'ordre du jour Draft agenda