Togo and Benin recently carried out a joint operation to fight illegal fishing

Agriculture

Monday, 20 December 2021 15:38

Togo and Benin recently carried out a joint operation to fight illegal fishing

(Togo First) - To fight illegal, unreported, and unregistered fishing (IUU) fishing, Benin and Togo surveyed their respective waters last week. The three-day operation closed on Tuesday and led to the interception of a vessel and four pirogues which were diverted to the Port of Lomé.

The move is part of the PESCAO project, which is backed by Norway. PESCAO aims to help improve fishing governance in West Africa while detecting possible infractions related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU).

At the closing of the operations, the Minister of Maritime Economy, Fisheries, and Coastal Protection, Edem Kokou Tengue, thanked the different actors involved and promised the support of the government in the fight against illegal fishing.

"The damage caused by IUU fishing to the economy and the environment is enormous. The figures of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the FAO are frightening, but should not make us give up," Tengue said, assuring the commitment of his ministry to the fight against illegal fishing.

As a reminder, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, illegal fishing represents 37% of the catches in the Gulf of Guinea and generates costs of $1.3 billion each year. Globally, these losses are estimated at $23 billion.

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