Fight against illegal fishing in Guinea, journalists appropriate jargon

The Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy in collaboration with the Regional Partnership for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Zone in West Africa (PRCM) organized an information and training workshop for journalists this Tuesday December 27 and Wednesday December 28, 2022 in Conakry. This workshop is part of the fight against illegal, undeclared and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Guinea.

From one legal instrument to another, Guinea has forged its destiny along its coastal and maritime zone. These instruments, whether binding or not, are the code of conduct for responsible fishing and the international action plan aimed at preventing, thwarting and eliminating IUU fishing.. This IUU fishing takes place both on the high seas but also in areas under national jurisdiction and concerns all aspects and stages of the capture and use of fish.

Even in the presence of solid legal elements, like law L/2015/020/AN of September 14, 2015 establishing the Maritime Fishing Code of the Republic of Guinea and the regulations adopted for its application, this practice with its impact in the marine environment is present in all types of fishing and in multiple dimensions. With its waters very rich in fish products, Guinea is not immune to this threat. This is why, in his speech, Me Nabi Souleymane Bangoura, consultant in maritime law, returned to the different types of IUU fishing, to encourage the participating journalists to appropriate the language and understand the contours of this practice in the country.

This fishing is initially illegal

“Unlawful because, being carried out by national or foreign vessels in waters under the jurisdiction of a State, without its permission, or in contravention of its laws and regulations,”explains Me Nabi Souleymane Bangoura, maritime law consultant and former fisheries legal advisor. Sometimes, States are not involved, nor are regional fisheries management organizations. This illegal fishing occurs in violation of national laws or international obligations, including those entered into by States cooperating with a competent regional fisheries management organization.

It is then undeclared

While some vessels fish illegally in National Marine Areas, others are legally introduced into these waters. However, the managers of these vessels engage in false declarations of the quantity of their catch.“Undeclared fishing refers to fishing activities which have not been declared, or have been declared in a misleading or inaccurate manner to the competent national authority, thus contravening its laws and regulations”,deplores Me Nabi Souleymane Bangoura, maritime law consultant.

It is ultimately unregulated

For Me Nabi Souleymane Bangoura, maritime law consultant and former fisheries legal advisor, this unregulated fishing refers to fishing activities carried out in the area of ​​application of a competent regional fisheries management organization which is carried out by vessels without nationality, or by those which fly the flag of a State not party to this organization.

“It also operates in a manner inconsistent with or in contravention of that organization's conservation and management measures in areas or for fish stocks for which there are no applicable conservation or management measures and where such fishing activities are inconsistent with the State's responsibilities for the conservation of living marine resources under international law.",adds Me Nabi Souleymane Bangoura.

Organizers’ expectations

Guinea has the widest continental shelf in West Africa, according to CNSHB Research Director and consultant, Alkaly Doumbouya. If the continental shelf is so vast, every initiative aimed at raising awareness among the media capable of influencing opinion is beneficial.“This initiative to strengthen fisheries governance in Guinea will contribute to the popularization of good fishing practices but also draw the attention of decision-makers and communities to the need to protect resources through sustainable, viable and profitable exploitation.,says Ismaël Keita, coordinator of the Fisheries Governance project in Guinea.

Mohamed Lamine Camara from the strategy and development office and representative of the Minister of Fisheries is delighted with the organization of this workshop.“The organization of this workshop is the expression of a real desire of the project and its partners to contribute to establishing rational management of fishery resources with a view to increasing the benefits that our country can derive from them through the media",he said.

For participating journalist Maimouna Bangoura, this workshop will help journalists to master the jargon of IUU fishing but also to have the language to deal with themes related to fishing. During these two days, participants also learned from their elders about media coverage of fishing issues. Amara Camara, journalist at RTG, returned to the fundamentals of journalistic investigation. Dean Facely 2 Mara, journalist and communications consultant, advocates for the networking of journalists to better fight against IUU fishing in Guinea.

Mamadou Kindy BAH