On 9 July 2024, a local Somalia news outlet reported that illegal tuna fishing by Chinese vessels off the Somalia coast had reached alarming levels. Yellowfin tuna, one of the world’s most commercially important fish species, is central to this concern. The high global demand for the yellowfin tuna and its significant economic value make it a target for criminal networks seeking to make profits from illegal fishing activities.
Since 2015, global commercial tuna catches have consistently surpassed sustainable catch limits to meet the high demands of global markets. In 2021, Planet Tracker warned that without urgent action, tuna stocks could collapse by 2026, with a minimum decline in adult biomass of at least 70% over 10 years. This indicates a potentially drastic reduction in the adult tuna population if sustainable measures are not adopted.
Somalia’s waters are a major fishing ground for tuna, and it is estimated that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing costs the country US$300 million annually.
In response, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (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 December 2023. The meeting focused on the critical aspects of Somalia’s fisheries governance, enforcement and prosecution.
The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), an intergovernmental organisation responsible for managing tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas, is currently falling short of its mandate. The challenge is that, while the IOTC can develop recommendations and conservation measures, it has no direct law enforcement mandate. Enforcement largely rests with individual member states, many of which lack the resources or capacity to combat IUU fishing effectively within their own jurisdictions.
The transnational nature of IUU fishing within the Somali context, often linked to organised criminal groups, exacerbates this problem by undermining regional efforts to conserve tuna stocks.
Driven in part by foreign criminal syndicates, IUU fishing has also created a complex, transnational challenge that the IOTC is ill-equipped to address with its current mandate. As noted by the European Parliamentary Research Service, IUU fishing can be linked to other transnational organised crimes, including money laundering, corruption and slavery on board fishing vessels.
In addition, IUU fishing activities have been frequently cited as a justification for acts of piracy by Somalia-based gangs, showcasing the direct link between IUU and organised criminality off the coast of Somalia.
Although some positive steps were taken at the IOTC meeting in May 2024, including a 15% cut in bigeye tuna catches and the adoption of 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 manmade structures that attract fish to fishing vessels) have created a rift with coastal states advocating for strict measures. Consequently, overfishing continues, with fleets from China and European countries reportedly the primary culprits.
In December 2018, former Somali fisheries minister Abdillahi Bidhan inked a deal allowing Chinese companies to fish within 24 nautical miles of Somalia’s shores at a cost of US$1 million. According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, this agreement would be renewed based on annual independent stock assessments – and it is still currently active.
However, there is a lack of transparency in such deals, says Mohamud Nur Hasan, a member of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Fisheries and Natural Resources. The deal, with its vague conditions, is an example of how the Somali government struggles to manage its fishing industry transparently.
In this context, a 2019 report revealed that the Liao Dong Yu fleet (a Chinese foreign vessel) was not operating within the 2018 stipulated law. Instead, the fleet had obtained fishing licences from Puntland authorities through questionable means. This was reportedly facilitated by businessman and senator Dahir Ayande, a close ally of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, pointing to the influence of political associations in undermining the governance of Somalia’s fishing industry.
In the meantime, Chinese vessels continue to be involved in illegal tuna fishing off the Somalia coastline, using prohibited and destructive methods of fishing. These include using large purse seines and longline vessels to catch immense volumes of tuna, bottom trawling, selective equipment that can capture certain fish while excluding others, and even dynamite fishing – using explosives to kill and collect fish. These unsustainable practices are not only depleting the fish stocks but are negatively affecting Somalia’s maritime ecosystem, further threatening local fisher’s livelihoods.
The government has put in place some key measures to mitigate IUU fishing off Somalia’s coast.
This year, the Somalia Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy banned trawling activities within the Somali Federal territory waters. The government has also updated its vessel licensing guidelines to increase transparency and help identify illegal activities. Steps towards strengthening bilateral coordination with Turkey will 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 between Somalia and Denmark, alongside the UNODC, has highlighted the benefits of strengthening partnerships in combatting illegal fishing. By developing effective strategies for investigating illegal activity and prosecuting offenders, fines totalling US$356 000 have been served on illegal fishers and 33 Iranian and Pakistani fishermen, previously identified as illegally fishing along the coastline, have been arrested.
Despite these efforts, corruption, inadequate implementation of regulations and the collusion of officials with foreign fishing companies continue to undermine the protection of Somalia’s fisheries, as earlier elaborated. As noted by Stop Illegal Fishing, an Africa-based independent not-for-profit organisation, strengthening on-the-ground anti-corruption capacity, fostering national interagency cooperation and increasing international cooperation are key.
Emphasising a multi-pronged approach, Robert McKee, a global maritime security expert previously with UNODC, told ENACT that enhancing oversight and strengthening regional monitoring, control and surveillance centres, along with dedicated task forces, are crucial to enforce fisheries laws. Seizing illegal vessels, arresting offenders and confiscating illegal fishing equipment are essential for safeguarding Somalia’s overexploited yellowfin tuna.
The lack of transparency in fishing agreements and issuing licences also needs intervention. More stringent maritime frameworks backed by technology-driven solutions – an approach that has proven effective in Norway and has recently been adopted by the Philippines – could benefit Somalia’s fisheries management. This will be key in addressing the transnational organised crime angles associated with IUU.
If sustainable fishing practices and consistent enforcement to prevent and combat IUU fishing are not effectively observed, the consequences will extend beyond the maritime ecosystem, affecting global food security and impacting economic vulnerabilities in coastal communities. If unaddressed, this trend could lead to the extinction of yellowfin tuna.
Valtino Omolo, Intern, East Africa Peace Security and Governance Project, and Willis Okumu, Senior Researcher, ENACT
Image: Guy Peterson / AFP
