Illegal fishing in Africa

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Inspection of fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea by a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment member and a Ghanaian navy sailor. Fishing check 140402-N-ZZ999-550.jpg
Inspection of fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea by a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment member and a Ghanaian navy sailor.

African illegal fishing is the unlawful activity of obtaining fish and other aquatic species for various purposes in African waters. Fishing outside local, national, and international regulations causes the disturbance of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the countries of Africa. [1] People living in local African communities may fish illegally in order to improve their income and lifestyle. On a larger scale, illegal fishing in Africa takes place when vessels from foreign countries are stationed on African waters without any legal documentation that allows fishing. [2] [3] Illegal fishing in Africa is one of the main causes of overfishing, [4] and increases the spread of diseases. [5] In Africa, the Chinese commercial fishing fleet is responsible for more illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) fishing than that of any other nation. [2] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Environmental and human health impacts

Illegal fishing in African waters is causing the fast decline of marine and freshwater species that maintain stable marine and terrestrial ecosystems. By reducing the diversity of species in these marine ecosystems, the natural food chain is distorted. When a key species is over-fished, other species’ populations start to increase significantly. [5] When a species loses its natural predator, it becomes easier for the species to survive and reproduce. Oftentimes the overpopulation of specific species, aquatic or terrestrial, can have negative effects on the ecosystem, including humans’ health. [5]

Spread of disease

Some species of freshwater snails from the family Planorbidae are the main source of food for many species of fish being over-fished illegally. These snails are the intermediate hosts of a variety of disease-causing parasites that are transmitted to humans. [9] For example, Schistosomiasis is one of the diseases caused by a parasite carried by freshwater snails which mainly affects children. This disease does not allow the normal development in children. Schistosomiasis affects the growth in children and the ability to develop their intellectual skills. [10] Schistosomiasis is the second most common neglected tropical disease caused by a parasite in sub-Saharan Africa and is part of the deaths of about 534,000 persons every year. [11] With a larger population of Planorbidae freshwater snails, the probability of humans, especially children, having contact with the snails is much higher. Thus, humans are more vulnerable of getting infected with this disease and many others serious diseases. Overfishing disturbs the balance of the ecosystems where the lack of laws and/or implementation a laws is having consequences on communities that depend on these ecosystems.

Economy

The economy of African countries has declined as the result of illegal fishing. Illegal fishing affects small businesses that benefit from tourism since these small businesses cannot obtain the sufficient amounts of fish necessary to supply sport-fishing tourists’ demands. The decline in the economy is causing a large population of African people to emigrate to European countries in order to find a job that allows them to meet their daily necessities. [12] According to Moenieba Isaacs and Emma Witbooi, illegal fishing produces between 828 million and 1.6 billion US dollars from fishing illegally in the Eastern Central Atlantic every year. [13] Most of the time the revenue obtained from illegal fishing goes to large foreign companies, while local people only receive a small portion. Over 200 million Africans depend on fish for nutritional purposes and 10 million Africans benefit financially from fish. [13] Illegal immigration caused by the lack of marine resources is not always the adequate solution. Many African citizens are forced to travel in boats that are in bad conditions. People get lost in the ocean and many times die trying to arrive to a European country. [14]

Bushmeat

Poaching of Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemurs (Hapalemur griseus) for bushmeat in northeast Madagascar. Lemur poaching 001.jpg
Poaching of Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemurs (Hapalemur griseus) for bushmeat in northeast Madagascar.

African communities greatly depend on seafood and terrestrial wild animals to obtain their daily portion of proteins. According to the article “Do bushmeat consumers have other fish to fry?” the amount of wild animals that are hunted for bushmeat increases when the production of fish decreases. [15] People who live close to the coast of African countries such as the communities in Ghana not only rely on fishing to obtain their daily protein, but fishing is their source of employment. [16] When overfishing caused by illegal fishing reduces the seafood stock, African people risk their life and hunt dangerous and/or protected animals. [16] These people face two major risks during hunting for bushmeat; they can be killed by the wild animals they are trying to hunt or they can be shot by the rangers who are protecting endangered wild animals living within protected area boundaries.

Illegally caught species

Marine species populations are slowly becoming more and more vulnerable and some are entering the list of endangered species. Sharks and sea turtles are some of the aquatic species being overfished for their high value on the market. [17] [18] Added to these species, many other fish species are also overfished, reducing the food availability for their natural predators. 

Sharks

Sharks after the removal of fins. Shark finning.jpg
Sharks after the removal of fins.

A 2005 report in the article “Shark Finning” disclosed incidents of illegal shark fishing by a large number of Taiwanese fishing vessels off the coast of Africa, and Middle East in the Western Indian Ocean. [17] Sharks are fished solely for the purpose of removing their fins since shark fins are considered a delicacy in China. [2] Local African men, large scale foreign fisheries, and organized crime syndicates take part on this activity as this is a very lucrative trade. [17]

Sea turtles

In Africa, the uses of sea turtles are many. Sea turtles are used for African traditional religious and medicinal beliefs. Sea turtle shells are also use to produce artisanal ornaments and souvenirs. Due to the overfishing of fish, local African communities’ dependence on sea turtles increases. Sea turtles such as the Hawksbill sea turtle are exploited for their shells which are used largely during festive days when tourists demand for souvenirs increases. [18] Tourism allows small local business to earn an income, thus people exploit turtle populations to increase their earnings. Sea turtles also face indirect threats when commercial and local fisheries catch them during the fishing of other aquatic animals. [18] Many times sea turtles are caught by shark, lobster, and/or fish nets and they are not released back into the water or they die while being trapped on the nets.

Involvement of outside world

United States

A large amount of the seafood that is consumed by people living in the United States does not always come from legal fishing. [1] Americans eat an estimated 5 billion pounds of seafood every year. Lobsters, which are a well-known seafood dish, are highly requested in American restaurants. Since lobsters have to be imported alive, the prices to ship them is very high. [19] Illegal fisheries may overfish lobsters to receive large monetary benefits. In the mid-2000s, one case in which lobsters were being overfished illegally in South Africa to be imported to the United States was investigated. It was found that 30 percent of the lobsters being shipped to the United States were the result of illegal fishing. [20] As a result, the United States authorities fined the company Hout Bay Fishing $22.5 million for shipping illegally caught lobsters into the United States. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishery</span> Raising or harvesting fish

Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater waterbodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem, causing declines in some populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bycatch</span> Fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally

Bycatch, in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juveniles of the target species. The term "bycatch" is also sometimes used for untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting. Non-marine species that are caught but regarded as generally "undesirable" are referred to as rough fish or coarse fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overfishing</span> Removal of a species of fish from water at a rate that the species cannot replenish

Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally, resulting in the species becoming increasingly underpopulated in that area. Overfishing can occur in water bodies of any sizes, such as ponds, wetlands, rivers, lakes or oceans, and can result in resource depletion, reduced biological growth rates and low biomass levels. Sustained overfishing can lead to critical depensation, where the fish population is no longer able to sustain itself. Some forms of overfishing, such as the overfishing of sharks, has led to the upset of entire marine ecosystems. Types of overfishing include growth overfishing, recruitment overfishing, and ecosystem overfishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable fishery</span> Sustainable fishing for the long term fishing

A conventional idea of a sustainable fishery is that it is one that is harvested at a sustainable rate, where the fish population does not decline over time because of fishing practices. Sustainability in fisheries combines theoretical disciplines, such as the population dynamics of fisheries, with practical strategies, such as avoiding overfishing through techniques such as individual fishing quotas, curtailing destructive and illegal fishing practices by lobbying for appropriate law and policy, setting up protected areas, restoring collapsed fisheries, incorporating all externalities involved in harvesting marine ecosystems into fishery economics, educating stakeholders and the wider public, and developing independent certification programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry</span> Economic branch

The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as the related harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and other seafood products for human consumption or as input factors in other industrial processes. The livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial fishing</span> Catching seafood for commercial profit

Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions. Large-scale commercial fishing is called industrial fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Marine Fisheries Service</span> Office of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stewardship of U.S. national marine resources. It conserves and manages fisheries to promote sustainability and prevent lost economic potential associated with overfishing, declining species, and degraded habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galápagos Marine Reserve</span> Nature reserve off the Ecuadorian mainland

The Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) lies a thousand kilometres from the Ecuadorian mainland and covers an area of around 133,000 km2 (51,000 sq mi). The Galápagos Islands and the surrounding waters represent one of the world’s most unusual ecosystems and are rich areas of biodiversity. Recently granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the Galápagos Marine Reserve is the largest marine reserve in a developing country and the second largest reserve in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seafood Watch</span> Consumer advisory list

Seafood Watch is a sustainable seafood advisory list, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is best known for developing science-based seafood recommendations that consumers, chefs, and business professionals use to inform their seafood purchasing decisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing</span>

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental impact of fishing</span>

The environmental impact of fishing includes issues such as the availability of fish, overfishing, fisheries, and fisheries management; as well as the impact of industrial fishing on other elements of the environment, such as bycatch. These issues are part of marine conservation, and are addressed in fisheries science programs. According to a 2019 FAO report, global production of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals has continued to grow and reached 172.6 million tonnes in 2017, with an increase of 4.1 percent compared with 2016. There is a growing gap between the supply of fish and demand, due in part to world population growth.

Sustainable seafood is seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans, as well as the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement which began in the 1990s. This operation highlights overfishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Through a number of initiatives, the movement has increased awareness and raised concerns over the way our seafood is obtained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild fisheries</span> Area containing fish that are harvested commercially

A wild fishery is a natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal population that can be harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or lacustrine/riverine (freshwater), and rely heavily on the carrying capacity of the local aquatic ecosystem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friend of the Sea</span> Sustainable seafood organization

Friend of the Sea is a project of the World Sustainability Organization for the certification and promotion of seafood from sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture. It is the only certification scheme which, with the same logo, certifies both wild and farmed seafood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in China</span>

China has one-fifth of the world's population and accounts for one-third of the world's reported fish production as well as two-thirds of the world's reported aquaculture production. It is also a major importer of seafood and the country's seafood market is estimated to grow to a market size worth US$53.5 Billion by 2027.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in the United States</span>

As with other countries, the 200 nautical miles (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of the United States gives its fishing industry special fishing rights. It covers 11.4 million square kilometres, which is the second largest zone in the world, exceeding the land area of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Seafood Sustainability Foundation</span>

International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) was formed in 2009 as a global, non-profit partnership among the tuna industry, scientists and World Wide Fund for Nature. The multistakeholder group states its mission is "to undertake science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health". Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) are primarily responsible for managing the world's tuna stocks—skipjack, yellowfin and albacore tuna, the species most commonly processed for canned and shelf-stable tuna products, but their parliamentary procedures too often allow the short-term economic and political interests of nations to prevent sustainable measures from being adopted. ISSF works to ensure that effective international management practices are in place to maintain the health of all the tuna stocks.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fisheries:

Saltwater fish, also called marine fish or sea fish, are fish that live in seawater. Saltwater fish can swim and live alone or in a large group called a school.

The fishing industry in Thailand, in accordance with usage by The World Bank, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other multinational bodies, refers to and encompasses recreational fishing, aquaculture, and wild fisheries both onshore and offshore.

References

  1. 1 2 "What is IUU fishing?| Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations". www.fao.org. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  2. 1 2 3 "China's fishing fleet is causing havoc off Africa's coasts" . The Economist . 11 April 2024. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  3. ↑ "The Grekos: A success story in the crackdown on illegal fishing". The Safina Center. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  4. ↑ "Criminality in Africa's Fishing Industry: A Threat to Human Security". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  5. 1 2 3 Schwartz, Eli; Grossman, Tamar; Tandlich, Moshik; Lachish, Tamar (2013-11-15). "High Rate of Schistosomiasis in Travelers After a Brief Exposure to the High-Altitude Nyinambuga Crater Lake, Uganda". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 57 (10): 1461–1464. doi: 10.1093/cid/cit559 . ISSN   1058-4838. PMID   24021485.
  6. ↑ Yap, Chuin-Wei. "China's Fishing Fleet, the World's Largest, Drives Beijing's Global Ambitions" . The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  7. ↑ Yeung, Peter (2022-02-01). "Illegal overfishing by Chinese trawlers leaves Sierra Leone locals 'starving'". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-04-12. China is consistently ranked as the worst offender for IUU fishing in a global index of 152 countries.
  8. ↑ "Ghana fishing: Abuse, corruption and death on Chinese vessels". BBC News . 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  9. ↑ Dida GO, Gelder FB, Anyona DN, Matano AS, Abuom PO, Adoka SO, Ouma C, Kanangire CK, Owuor PO, Ofulla AV (2014-10-24). "Distribution and abundance of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis host snails along the Mara River in Kenya and Tanzania". Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. 4 (1): 24281. Bibcode:2014InfEE...424281D. doi:10.3402/iee.v4.24281. PMC   4216393 . PMID   25405008.
  10. ↑ "Schistosomiasis. Katayama fever, parasite tropical disease". patient.info. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  11. ↑ Adenowo AF, Oyinloye BE, Ogunyinka BI, Kappo AP (March 2015). "Impact of human schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa". The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 19 (2): 196–205. doi: 10.1016/j.bjid.2014.11.004 . PMC   9425372 . PMID   25636189.
  12. ↑ "'Fish are vanishing' - Senegal's devastated coastline". 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  13. 1 2 Isaacs, Moenieba; Witbooi, Emma (2019). "Fisheries crime, human rights and small-scale fisheries in South Africa: A case of bigger fish to fry". Marine Policy. 105: 158–168. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2018.12.023 . hdl: 10566/6288 .
  14. ↑ LaFraniere S (2008-01-14). "Europe Takes Africa's Fish, and Boatloads of Migrants Follow". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  15. ↑ Rowcliffe JM, Milner-Gulland EJ, Cowlishaw G (June 2005). "Do bushmeat consumers have other fish to fry?". Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 20 (6): 274–6. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2005.03.007. PMID   16701380.
  16. 1 2 Brashares JS (2004-11-12). Bushmeat Hunting, wildlife declines, and fish supply in west Africa. OCLC   926469439.
  17. 1 2 3 "Shark Finning". Stop Illegal Fishing. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  18. 1 2 3 "MTN 100:33-37 Sea Turtle Conservation along the Atlantic Coast of Africa". www.seaturtle.org. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
  19. ↑ "How lobster went from prison trash food to delicacy". 10Best. 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  20. 1 2 "Criminality in Africa's Fishing Industry: A Threat to Human Security". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
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