Mozambique: Germany provides €90M for coastal protection, green infrastructure - Watch
File photo: Presidencia.gov.mz
President Filipe Nyusi appealed yesterday (22) in Maputo for regional and international coordination to classify illegal fishing as a transnational crime and to “severely punish” it.
“Our country is in favor of regional and international coordination so that illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing is classified as a transnational crime and should be severely punished due to its severely harmful effects,” said Filipe Nyusi at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Regional Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Coordination Center (MCSCC) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The head of state, quoted by Lusa news agency, explained that the construction of the MCSCC in the district of Katembe, on the outskirts of Maputo, officially established in 2023, should be completed in 15 months, with financing from the World Bank. “Its implementation required the signing of a commitment and accession letter by each member state.
It was a rather long and cumbersome process, but thanks to our persistent diplomacy, coordination, and determination, 12 of the 16 SADC countries have already signed the document, allowing the construction of the Center to begin,” he added.
The SADC Declaration of Commitment to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing was approved by the Community’s Fisheries Ministers in July 2008, identifying, among other areas, “the improvement of regional and inter-regional cooperation to eradicate illegal fishing” as a priority.
“In this context, Mozambique was one of the pioneers in embracing initiatives for an environment closed to these harmful practices, through the exchange and sharing of information on vessels engaged in illicit activities,” said Filipe Nyusi, adding that by joining this “great, unique, and innovative undertaking that will serve as the region’s design, SADC demonstrates its high sense of responsibility.” And he emphasized: “The strong interconnection in the maritime domain, reflected in the growing demand for maritime space for purposes other than fishing or transportation, requires a holistic, integrated, and cross-border approach from all of us.
Activities such as hydrocarbon exploration, tourism, scientific research, among others, are susceptible to illegal conduct and practices, with an emphasis on drug trafficking, illegal fishing, pollution, among others.”
The President of the Republic argued that the sea “is an important natural resource whose exploitation must be sustainable so that it continues to be the primary source of food and income in the context of the blue economy, which has been promoted by Mozambique.”
Filipe Nyusi explained that the MCSCC’s mandate is “to coordinate efforts and measures aimed at improving the monitoring, control, and surveillance of fisheries, so as to eradicate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.”
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