Rampant illegal tuna fishing off Somalia’s coast threatens local livelihoods and global food security

Somalia’s waters are a major fishing ground for tuna, with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costing the country about $300-million annually. These offences are often transnational and linked to organised criminal groups, undermining regional efforts to conserve tuna stocks.

Since 2015, global commercial tuna catches have consistently surpassed sustainable catch limits. In 2021, Planet Tracker warned that without urgent action, tuna stocks could collapse by 2026.

In response, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Global Maritime Crime Programme, in partnership with Somalia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, convened a high-level stakeholder meeting in Mogadishu in 2023. Discussions focused on improving Somalia’s fisheries governance, enforcing legislation and prosecuting alleged offenders.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) also has a vital role, but its reach is limited. The IOTC is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for managing tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas. Although it can develop recommendations and conservation measures, law enforcement is up to member states, many of which lack the resources and capacity to do so effectively. 

Driven partly by foreign criminal syndicates, illegal fishing has become a complex challenge that the IOTC cannot address with its current mandate. As noted by the European Parliamentary Research Service, illegal fishing is linked to other transnational organised crimes, including money laundering, corruption and slavery aboard fishing vessels. It has also been frequently cited as a justification for piracy by Somalia-based gangs.

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Although some positive steps were taken at the May 2024 IOTC meeting, including a 15% cut in bigeye tuna catches and adopting electronic monitoring standards, significant gaps and challenges remain.

Within the IOTC, the European Union’s lobbying power and resistance to stricter regulations on fish-aggregating devices (harmful measures that attract fish to fishing vessels) have created a rift with coastal states advocating for strict measures. So overfishing continues, with fleets from China and European countries reportedly the primary culprits.

In December 2018, former Somali fisheries minister Abdillahi Bidhan signed a deal allowing Chinese companies to fish within 24 nautical miles of Somalia’s shores for $1-million. The Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy said this agreement would be renewed based on annual independent stock assessments – and it is still active. 

However, these deals lack transparency, says Mohamud Nur Hasan, a member of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Fisheries and Natural Resources. The agreement, with its vague conditions, shows how Somalia’s government struggles to manage its fishing industry.

Another example is the Liao Dong Yu fleet (Chinese fishing trawlers) operating under fishing licences obtained from Puntland authorities through questionable means. The licenses were allegedly facilitated by businessman and senator Dahir Ayanle Said, a close ally of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni. This shows how political associations undermine the governance of Somalia’s fishing industry.

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Meanwhile, Chinese vessels continue to be involved in illegal tuna fishing off Somalia’s coastline, using prohibitive and destructive methods. These include large purse seines and longline vessels to catch immense volumes of tuna, bottom trawling, equipment that captures certain fish while excluding others, and dynamite fishing – using explosives to kill and collect fish. 

These unsustainable practices not only deplete fish stocks but damage Somalia’s maritime ecosystem, further threatening local fishers’ livelihoods.

The Somali government has taken several steps to curb illegal fishing. Trawling activities within Somali Federal territory waters have been banned, and vessel licensing guidelines updated to increase transparency and help identify illegal activities. 

Stronger bilateral coordination with Turkey could enhance Somalia’s maritime security. And the government is tackling gaps exploited by pirate fishers, including the lack of accurate, up-to-date information on Somalia’s fishing industry.

A collaboration with the UNODC has highlighted the benefits of partnerships in combating illegal fishing. Strategies for investigating illegal activity and prosecuting offenders have resulted in fines totalling $356,000 against offenders. And 33 Iranian and Pakistani fishermen, previously identified as illegally fishing along the coastline, have been arrested.

Despite these efforts, corruption, poor implementation of regulations and collusion between officials and foreign fishing companies still undermine the protection of Somalia’s fisheries. Stop Illegal Fishing, an African nonprofit, notes that local capacity to stop corruption is needed, along with interagency coordination and better international cooperation.

Robert McKee, a global maritime security expert previously with the UNODC, told the ENACT project that improved regional monitoring, control and surveillance centres, and dedicated task forces are crucial to enforcing fisheries laws. Seizing illegal vessels, arresting offenders and confiscating illicit fishing equipment are essential to safeguard Somalia’s overexploited yellowfin tuna.

The lack of transparency in fishing agreements and the issuing of licences must also be rectified. More stringent maritime laws backed by technology – which has proven effective in Norway and has recently been adopted by the Philippines – could also help Somalia tackle the organised crime syndicates associated with illegal fishing.

Without sustainable fishing practices and consistent enforcement, the consequences will extend beyond the maritime ecosystem, affecting global food security, impoverishing coastal communities and leading to the extinction of yellowfin tuna. DM

Valtino Omolo, intern, East Africa Peace Security and Governance Project, and Willis Okumu, senior researcher, ENACT, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Nairobi.

First published by ISS Today.