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Illegal fishing is particularly critical in West Africa where
the total estimated catch is 40 per cent higher than the
reported amount (Agnew
et al.
2009), indicating high levels
of IUU. Due to already overexploited fish stocks in the region
(Schmidt
et al.
2013) illegal fisheries place an additional stress
factor on food security in West Africa (Atta-Mills
et al.
2004).
Fisheries, and especially small-scale fisheries, play a direct
as well as an indirect role to food security through nutrients
from fish as well as income (WorldFish Centre 2011). Africa has
the highest proportion of non-engine fishing vessels of about
60 per cent compared to 5–32 per cent in other regions of the
world (FAO 2012b). While being more sustainable, small-scale
fisheries are vulnerable as they have a lower fishing range,
lower capacity in terms of harvest efficiency and lower buffer
or alternative operational range if local areas are overexploited.
In Ghana and Senegal small-scale fishers are struggling with
decreasing fish stocks due to overexploitation forcing them to
travel further out at sea (Atta-Mills
et al.
2004; Fessy 2014). Due
to low fish catches the small-scale fishers become easy targets
for recruitment into illegal fisheries (Fessy 2014).
As a result of rapid population growth it is expected that the
demand for fish will increase by 30 per cent by 2030 in sub-
Saharan Africa. At the same time, estimates suggest that
increases in fish capture in sub-Saharan Africa will be marginal,
rising from an average of 5.42 million tonnes in 2007–2009
to 5.47 million tonnes by 2030 (World Bank 2013). In order to
ensure that fisheries play an important role in food security in
Africa in the future, it is crucial that the local fishing industry
is protected, further degradation is prevented and restoration
of degraded ecosystems is prioritized. Given the high levels of
illegal fisheries, it is critical to support enforcement by tapping
into the expertise and experience of international enforcement
agencies and monitoring systems.