EJF commends European Commissioner Borg’s commitment to act against European fishing vessels using Flags of Convenience in Somalia, but notes that pirate fishing is having devastating consequences in other regions as well that must be addressed.

Illegal fishing vessels have been implicated as a driver in the recent explosion in piracy in Somalia. However, many other regions in Africa with a history of violence, such as Sierra Leone, are also suffering devastating environmental, social and economic impacts from pirate fishing. ©EJF
Illegal fishing vessels have been implicated as a driver in the recent explosion in piracy in Somalia. However, many other regions in Africa with a history of violence, such as Sierra Leone, are also suffering devastating environmental, social and economic impacts from pirate fishing. ©EJF
The European Commissioner for responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Joe Borg, has urged the European Union to address the role of any European vessels engaged in IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing in Somalia. The country’s enormous coastline, abundant fish resources and lack of a functioning government for almost two decades has resulted in rampant pirate fishing by up to 700 foreign vessels from all over the world, including the EU. Losses to the Somali economy have been estimated at US$94 million a year, and there have been frequent reports of illegal vessels destroying fish stocks and fishing gear that local fishing communities depend upon to survive. As a result it has been widely written by the global media that one of the primary excuses used by the pirates operating in the region is that they are ex-fishermen simply trying to ‘patrol’ their waters.
 
EJF strongly agrees that the EU must take action to address any illegal fishing activities being perpetuated by European vessels, companies and individuals, particularly those operating under Flags of Convenience. These actions must be part of a wider suite of measures that address the root causes of piracy in the Somali region. However EJF also notes that illegal pirate fishing occurs throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, and that those impacts reported by Somali fishers, including depletion of fish stocks and the destruction of fishing gears, are also occurring in other regions with a history of violence, such as the West African nation of Sierra Leone.
 
‘We commend Commissioned Borg for his comments, and urge that action is taken in Somalia to end European involvement in illegal fishing there’ says EJF Director Steve Trent. ‘However there is a very clear lesson to be learnt from the Somali situation, and that is that action must be taken much earlier to address issues such as illegal fishing before they escalate into the terrible state that we see in Somalia today. Our investigations in West Africa have shown that illegal pirate fishing is rampant in that region as well, and is having enormous environmental, social and economic impacts in these very poor countries that already have a history of conflict. If illegal ‘pirate’ fishing is not ended in these regions, then the consequences could be devastating’.