High-level meeting on advancing awareness and strategies for addressing crimes in the West African fisheries sector

The fisheries and aquaculture sector contributes significantly to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region's economy, adding over 15% to the region's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with approximately 3% of the economically active rural population relying on this sector. 1 In West Africa, fishing activities, mostly in the marine artisanal subsector, are a major contributor to GDP, with high overall contributions to Ghana, Mauritania, and Sierra Leone. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also estimated that the fisheries and aquaculture sector employs about 12.3 million people on the continent 2 . However, the fisheries sector also serves as a significant vector for crime, exposing the region to a wide range of criminal activities. These include offences directly linked to the sector's operations, such as illegal fishing practices that violate national and regional laws. Additionally, there are crimes of diversion within the value chain, including corruption, money laundering, and document, tax, and customs fraud. Beyond these, the sector acts as a facilitator for severe criminal activities like drug and weapons trafficking, trafficking in persons (TIP), and smuggling of migrants (SOM), often carried out via fishing vessels and frequently connected to organised crime networks 3 . These crimes not only jeopardise regional stability and development but also escalate tensions, as competition over fishing resources often leads to violence among communities and conflicts with law enforcement, particularly in border areas. For example, in 2018, a conflict erupted in Saint-Louis, Senegal, after Mauritanian coastguards shot a young Senegalese fisherman, sparking violent protests and attacks on Mauritanian-owned businesses. 4 a. Data as a strategic asset In the fight against crimes in the fishery sector, leveraging data as a strategic asset is paramount to crafting evidence-based, impactful, and sustainable responses. The collection and analysis of data underpin the development of targeted interventions that accurately address the multifaceted challenges posed by crimes in this sector, including the corruption that often facilitates these offences. Research plays a crucial role in this endeavour, providing a foundation upon which policies and interventions can be constructed with precision and relevance. By producing comprehensive datasets -spanning from catch volumes and fishing efforts to patterns of criminal activities and corruption risks-stakeholders can identify vulnerabilities within fisheries management systems, including interactions and processes susceptible to exploitation. This insight allows for an evaluation of the effectiveness of existing regulations, an identification of gaps where corruption may flourish, and a forecasting of trends in illegal fishing practices. This approach ensures that responses are not only grounded in the reality of current practices but are also adaptable to evolving threats, enhancing the resilience and sustainability of fisheries management efforts. Ultimately, treating data as a strategic asset empowers policymakers, enforcement agencies, and community stakeholders to deploy resources more efficiently, enact measures that address both the root causes of crimes and the corruption that enables them, and foster a culture of compliance to protect marine resources for future generations.