http://www.news24.com.ng/Africa/News/illegal-fishing-is-a-major-threat-to-africas-blue-economy-20160623-4
Illegal fishing is a major threat to Africa’s blue economy
23 June 2016, 10:35
Adam Abdou Hassan, Université de Rouen
The blue economy lies at the heart of globalisation. Ninety percent of
international trade takes place via the sea and 95% of global
communication relies on underwater networks. The blue economy
encompasses all economic activity in and around rivers, lakes,
streams, riverbanks, shorelines, groundwater, freshwater, seas and
oceans.
The blue economy is mostly unknown, overlooked and underdeveloped in
Africa. It could represent a major growth driver.
Its potential is not lost on the African Union (AU), which has made
the blue economy one of the priority areas for the next 10 years: the
blue economy holds immense potential as a key to a prosperous Africa.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and
Seychelles Vice President Danny Faure share this outlook, seeing the
blue economy as a potential source of blue gold.
But where does it currently stand in Africa? Does it benefit African economies?
Strategic significance
The strategic significance of the blue economy for Africa is clear.
UNECA has gone so far as to publish a policy handbook on the topic,
echoing the African Union’s position.
According to the handbook, 38 of Africa’s 54 countries are coastal
states and more than 90% of import-export occurs via the sea. The
territorial waters controlled by African nations stretch out over 13
million km², with a continental shelf of about 6.5 million km²,
including exclusive economic zones. For the AU, the blue economy
represents a new frontier of African renaissance.
There are tensions between African nations over the demarcation of
maritime borders. But the fishing industry employs nearly 12.3 million
Africans. And the blue economy could potentially solve nutritional and
food security problems for nearly 200 million Africans. It has the
potential to provide vital nutrition through underused resources in
fresh and salt water fish.
A grassroots, holistic and collaborative approach would make it
possible to establish a blue development strategy, taking into account
climate change and sustainable development. But several outside forces
jeopardise its success.
The danger of illegal fishing
Blue economic activities are hampered by natural phenomena like storms
and rising sea levels. But they are also impeded by human activities
such as piracy, and the arms and slave trades. Illegal fishing is one
of the most significant threats.
Based on Africa’s financial inflows and outflows, UNECA reckons that
the continent loses US$42 billion per year through illegal fishing and
logging activities.
The plundering of Africa’s blue economy, perpetrated by European,
Asian and Russian ships, is a reality. In West Africa, the economic
loss is estimated at about $700 million per year.
Illegal fishing – untaxed and unregulated – impoverishes nations and
triggers cross-border population displacement. According to Professor
Jean-François Akandji-Kombé at the University of Paris, the current
situation can be explained by the fact that:
The sea as economic entity is a new concept in Africa. For a long
time, the continent didn’t have the means to exploit marine resources,
or the means to assert political power over the seas. There were no
seafaring people or nations to speak of in Africa. These people, these
nations focused on the land, not the sea.
The European Union has woken up to the magnitude of the systematic
plunder of African fishing resources, and its potential political
consequences. In recent years, it has been working to establish
fishery partnership agreements with African countries like Cape Verde,
the Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar,
Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, São Tomé and PrÃncipe, Senegal and
the Seychelles.
China’s policy has been remarkably shameless regarding illegal
fishing. A number of African states hold Chinese vessels responsible
for plundering African maritime resources and have called on the
Chinese government to stop illegal fishing in West Africa.
African governments must therefore come up with strategic frameworks
if their people are to reap the benefits of this potential bounty.
Translated from the French by Alice Heathwood for Fast for Word.
Adam Abdou Hassan, Enseignant chercheur, Université de Rouen
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the
original article.
- The Conversation
Received on Wed Jun 29 2016 - 16:34:43 EDT