Thumbnail Image

Indian Ocean Commission's Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Strategy (2015-2025)

Year of publication 2014

Pages 3p.

Author Breuil, C.;Yvergniaux, Y.

Publisher FAO/IOC ;

Product type Document

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Fishery resources are one of the most important resources available to the countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa - Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) region in general and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) countries in particular, of great value to their food and nutritional security, livelihoods and economic growth requirements. Two main categories of resources coexist: tuna (and associated) resources and other resources (demersal fish, crustaceans, molluscs and small pelagics). Commonly identified t ransnational and non-transnational fishing resources include tuna, lobsters, shrimps, crabs, bivalves, octopus, trepangs, sharks, reef species and small pelagics (e.g. mackerel). Coastal resources are considered to be over-exploited. Tuna resources, for the most part, do not show obvious signs of overexploitation, although this does not exclude the need for a precautionary approach to their management.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    Promotion of initiatives to ensure the sustainability of the mangrove crab fishery and its value chains in Madagascar 2014
    Also available in:
    The mangrove crab fishery (Scylla scerrata) in Madagascar is an exclusively traditional fishing activity. Crab fishers walk or canoe through the mangroves and use very simple techniques and fishing gear such as a line or a hook mounted on a stick. It is estimated that about 80,000 people are involved in fishing and collecting mangrove crabs in Madagascar. Fishing and landing sites are often very difficult to access, and storage and transport facilities are very rudimentary: this is a sector that has significant post-harvest losses. In recent years, some mangrove areas – those most easily accessible - have already been over-exploited, resulting in a reduction in the average size of crabs caught.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    A Multi-Agency Task Team working together to end destructive blast fishing 2014
    Also available in:
    Blast fishing, also known as dynamite fishing, is a highly destructive, illegal method of catching fish which uses dynamite or other types of explosives to send shock-waves through the water, stunning or killing fish which are then collected and sold. Blast fishing can be lucrative: both from the sale of the fish caught and also from the trade of illegal explosives. Improvised explosive devices may explode prematurely and have been known to injure or kill the person using them, or innocent bysta nders. Blast fishing was first recorded in Africa in the early 1960s and while it has been brought under control in neighbouring countries it remains a huge problem in Tanzania. Blast fishing occurs along the entire Tanzanian coastline and often takes place within the coral reefs, biodiversity hotspots that provide local communities with food and attract international tourism. The blasts shatter the coral, destroying the habitat which results in drastic reduction in catches, affecting food secur ity. It also causes beach erosion as the reefs no longer provide protection from the sea. Coral reefs have failed to recover, even those blasted 40 years ago. Over the past 20 years several aid programmes provided funding for increased marine patrols, and with the help of the Navy blast fishing was almost eradicated - the withdrawal of the Navy in 2004, and the winding down of the donor support in 2005 blast fishing resumed once more. Although Tanzania has enacted laws and regulations against bl ast fishing, the current legal framework is outdated, there is weak enforcement and few successful prosecutions, hence no deterrent.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.