Fisheries sector in Guinea: what approach to better fight against IUU fishing?

With a view to preserving the marine ecosystem and fishery resources, PRCM, TMT and GRID Arendal in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy organized an inter-administration workshop this Tuesday, May 28 in Conakry. Through this workshop, the department, in collaboration with its partners, aims to strengthen the capacities of executives in the fight against IUU fishing in the country.

Guinea, rich in marine resources, faces major fishing challenges, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threatens the sustainability of its marine ecosystems and the food security of its coastal populations.

This ambitious fisheries governance project in Guinea represents a crucial step in the protection of marine resources and the promotion of sustainable fishing. By emphasizing transparency, it aims to comprehensively report on fishing activities, identify illegal practices and ensure increased surveillance of Guinean maritime zones.

“The fight against IUU fishing is a priority for the Department of Fisheries and Maritime Economy. Because fighting against this IUU fishing allows the authorities to preserve our fishing resources. This workshop aims to strengthen the capacities of executives from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Maritime Economy, the maritime prefecture and all stakeholders involved in this sector so that they can know what should be done to thwart those who would like to venture into this illicit activity. says Jeannette Léo Lama, deputy director general of the strategy and development office at the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy.

Thus, as part of a concerted effort with partners to counter IUU fishing, a project to strengthen fisheries governance was set up by the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy aimed at increasing transparency and developing effective policies in the fight against IUU fishing.

“We are in the second year of this project to combat IUU fishing. In year one, we strengthened the capacities of the structures, we trained legal professionals so that they could get used to the legal terms. We have also revised the fishing code so that it is in harmony with regional and international regulations. Today we are in the 3rd year and it is the training for strengthening the capacities of executives and above all we have set up an inter-administration committee to allow all the structures which have actions at sea to consult very often, to talk about the shortcomings and to propose solutions against IUU fishing”, explains Ismaël Keita, coordinator of the project strengthening fisheries governance in Guinea.

This workshop also aims to integrate innovative technologies into the fight against IUU fishing. This is another dimension that offers new possibilities for monitoring and control. Monitoring systems and other technological tools are deployed to strengthen the surveillance capabilities of maritime authorities and to quickly detect illegal fishing activities.

“Beyond capacity building, there are also the tools that the department makes available to these actors. But Each of us can fight against IUU fishing through the behaviors we adopt towards our fishing resources,” explains, the Deputy Director General of the Office of Strategies and Development at the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy.

In addition, this workshop also supports the strengthening of inter-administration cooperation and the implementation of the port state's responsibility, according to Viviane Coutob, West Africa and Central Africa coordinator of TMT.

“Our support is to ensure that the Guinean state can take into account certain procedures at the national level which allow them to fight against IUU fishing. Among other things, procedures that meet the international commitments that the country has made. For example, the implementation of port state, strengthening the registration and licensing procedure for ships, improving the inspection procedure for ships requesting access to the port of Conakry,” adds the West Africa and Central Africa coordinator of TMT.

This workshop demonstrates Guinea's commitment to strengthening its fisheries governance and combating IUU fishing. By combining inter-administration cooperation efforts, transparent policies and the integration of innovative technologies, Guinea strives to promote sustainable and responsible fishing in its territorial waters.

“Fighting against IUU fishing also means giving a lot more boost to the Guinean economy”, concludes Ismaël Keita, coordinator of the project strengthening fisheries governance in Guinea.

Mamadou Kindy Bah