‘Illegal fishing threatens regional food security’

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has stated that illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing robs the region of economic opportunities, threatens food security, and undermines the livelihoods of millions who depend on the sea.

According to a recent statement by the minister’s media aide, Dr Bolaji Akinola, Oyetola said this last week in Lagos during his acceptance speech after being elected Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea.

Recall that at the 16th Conference of Ministers of the FCWC, hosted by Nigeria last week in Lagos, Oyetola was elected Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea.

The high-level regional meeting, held under the theme “Securing Our Ocean Future: People, Resources, and Commitments”, brought together ministers and senior officials from FCWC Member States, including the Republic of Benin, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo, alongside representatives of regional institutions, international partners, and maritime experts.

Speaking after the election, Oyetola expressed deep gratitude for the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues and pledged to build on the strong foundation laid by his predecessors.

He underscored his commitment to advancing collective action against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, describing it as a major threat to marine sustainability and regional stability.

“Together, we must put an end to the scourge of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in our waters. This menace robs our nations of economic opportunities, threatens our food security, and undermines the livelihoods of millions who depend on the sea. Under my chairmanship, I will work collaboratively with all member states to ensure stronger enforcement, better data sharing, and improved governance of our shared marine resources,” Oyetola declared.

Oyetola emphasised that his tenure would prioritise regional cooperation, transparency, and capacity building as tools to strengthen the collective management of ocean resources within the West Central Gulf of Guinea.

The former Governor of Osun State noted that effective ocean governance is a shared responsibility that demands political will, coordinated enforcement, and sustained partnerships across borders.

Earlier, The PUNCH reported that the outgoing Chairman of the FCWC and Acting Director-General of Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, Cyrus Saygbe, in his parting remarks, commended Oyetola for his commitment to regional cooperation and expressed optimism that ongoing joint patrols and technological initiatives would help mitigate the scourge of illegal fishing.

He lamented the continued loss of billions of dollars annually by African countries due to illegal and unregulated fishing activities.

“The Gulf of Guinea still experiences huge exploitation from illegal fishing, and that has been one of the biggest challenges for the FCWC. We need to do more; we need to innovate and introduce technologies that can outsmart these operators who have now developed their own systems to evade detection. As I hand over the gavel today, we will continue to work closely with the minister to sustain the fight against this problem. We are also happy that the World Trade Organisation Bill has been passed, as it will help checkmate bigger countries that support illegal fishing in African waters,” Saygbe said.

The outgoing chairman noted that the FCWC was planning a joint regional patrol and would strengthen its monitoring framework through collaboration with member states, technical partners, and regional institutions.

“We know there are powerful countries and companies involved in this exploitation, and while we may not mention names, our focus now is to design internal strategies to protect our waters collectively. That is the strength of regional cooperation, and we will continue to build on it,” he added.

The Conference of Ministers was preceded by a series of technical sessions attended by delegates from FCWC Member States and development partners, during which progress reports and new initiatives for regional fisheries governance were deliberated.

The FCWC (Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea) was formally established in 2007, though its conceptual roots go back earlier. The group aims to ensure the conservation and optimal use of living marine resources in the sub-region and the sustainable development of fisheries among its member states.