Mozambique Loses as Foreigners Plunder Its Coast

Comprising one-fifth of the earth’s population, China consumes more than a third of the fish pulled from the planet’s waters. With its demand outpacing supply, fisheries from China have joined other nations and set their eyes and their nets on African waters without concern for sovereignty or law.

Africans struggling to emerge from poverty are paying the price for these predations. Mozambique alone has lost 300,000 badly-needed jobs and as much as $3.3 billion in revenue – 10 times the amount East African nations make in legally licensing fishing by foreign vessels, according to the non-profit Stop Illegal Fishing.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: maritime-executive.com

Kenya: Coast Guard seizes two Chinese vessels

Philip Mwakio

The Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) seized two Chinese flagged fishing vessels operating within Kenya’s territorial waters last week.

According to Lieutenant Commander Glen Majanga, the two vessels christened Harong 109 and Harong 108 were intercepted off Malindi within Ungama Bay on May 15, 2019.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: standardmedia.co.ke

China-Somalia Fishing Deal Could Create a Surge in Pirate Attacks

Fish stocks are an important policy issue in China. The most recent five-year plan regarding fishing policy called for improving the quality of catches to improve profitability. However, environmental degradation and overfishing have reduced the quality and quantity of China’s fish stocks. While China works on dealing with its environmental and fishing management policies, it has decided to go elsewhere to secure quality fish: Somalia.

China signed a deal with the Somali central government for licenses to fish. If you know about marine life off the coast of Somalia, the deal seems like a good idea. Somalia has abundant fish stocks that contain tuna, lobster, and swordfish. With the exception of coastal communities, Somalis largely don’t eat fish, so competition is limited. If the deal seems too good to be true, it’s because it is.

If you know anything about Somali politics, you should know that this deal is a horrible idea.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: international.thenewslens.com

China-Somalia fishing deal may revive sea piracy

The deal has made local fishermen vulnerable to poverty as Chinese fishing companies are likely to outcompete them and also trigger another round of piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

Somalia has the longest national coastline (3,025 km) in Africa with an estimated shelf area of 32,500 sq km. But this coastline is not safe due to illegal fishing and dumping of hazardous waste.

Following the civil war in 1991, foreign companies embarked on illegal fishing and dumping of harmful toxic waste along Somalia’s largely unguarded coastline, depriving local fishermen of their livelihoods and endangering the lives of thousands of people.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: trtworld.com