Page 104 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

LAW

Africa’s first fisheries law

enforcement academy turns five

FishFORCE was established in 2016, supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
to improve fisheries law enforcement through training, research and innovation.

From its outset, FishFORCE has strongly advocated that fisheries
crimes be addressed as a priority organised crime and prosecuted
as such organised under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act,
with severe penalties of 25 years to life.
Governments need to
The multi-crimes affecting the global fisheries sector range from prioritise the Port State
illegal fishing and extraction of marine resources to human and
drug trafficking, forced labour, fraud, forgery, corruption, money Measures Agreement
laundering and tax and customs evasion. (PSMA)

“Much of the global fisheries crime activity linked with fishing is Port State Measures are recognised as an effective
happening off the coast of South Africa, Namibia, and the east tool to combat IUU fishing as it can prevent the
coast of Africa,” says Prof Hennie van As, professor in Public use of South African ports by foreign distant water
Law and Director of the FishFORCE Fisheries Law Enforcement fleets which engage in IUU fishing. FishFORCE
Academy at Nelson Mandela University. offered PSMA training in collaboration with
Operation Phakisa to improve inspections in ports.
“The fishing vessels that illegally fish in our Exclusive Economic Such inspections, undertaken as multi-agency
Zone (EEZ) don’t need to visit our harbours, they make their efforts, are key for addressing illicit activities in
fishing in a cost-efficient manner. The number
of port inspections must be increased. The best
results will be achieved if states collaborate
by developing regional arrangements for
collaboration on port state measures training for
inspections.

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