Africa’s first regional fishing vessel record pilot debuts in Nigeria, backed by TMT
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Across the Gulf of Guinea, fisheries are more than an economic activity, they are a pillar of food and nutrition security, employment, and coastal livelihoods. Yet the region continues to face persistent pressure from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing - often compounded by gaps in transparency around which vessels are authorised to operate.
Without a harmonized and transparent record of which vessels are authorised to operate in regional waters, monitoring control and surveillance (MCS) and enforcement efforts can be reactive rather than preventive.
When vessel records are fragmented across national systems, verification becomes slower and inconsistencies harder to detect, limiting the ability to act quickly and decisively.
For the first time in Africa, a Regional Record of Authorised Fishing Vessels (RRAFV) is being piloted, designed not as a static list or paper-based registry, but as a live, functional system integrated with verification procedures and regional monitoring tools. While still in its early stages, the RRAFV marks a significant milestone for fisheries governance in Africa, shifting from commitment to implementation and from concept to operational regional cooperation.
The pilot is being launched by the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) with funding from the Norwegian Government and technical support from TMT and Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF). As a long-standing technical partner supporting the FCWC’s vision for a regional record, TMT has worked alongside Member States to help translate that ambition into an operational framework aligned with the FCWC Vessel Monitoring System (VMS).
By establishing a shared regional mechanism designed to register, maintain a record and verify all vessels operating in Member States’ waters, the initiative represents a critical step toward strengthening fisheries’ governance in the region.
A recent visit by Dr. Antoine Gaston Djihinto, FCWC Secretary-General, together with TMT and Secretariat representatives, to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Abuja and the Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) MCS office in Lagos in February 2026 formally launched Nigeria’s RRAFV pilot.
“The FCWC is proud to initiate and support Nigeria in the piloting of the RRAFV,” said Dr. Djihinto. “Nigeria’s commitment reflects the region’s ambition for better transparency and compliance, most especially now that we need to ensure the management of our resources guarantees sustained economic growth and revenues to our populations and, more broadly, a thriving blue economy in the region.”
Nigeria leads the first pilot
Nigeria has volunteered to be the first pilot country to test and validate the RRAFV framework before full regional roll-out. The pilot will test the operational framework, data requirements, and verification procedures that will underpin the long-term management of the Regional Record. It will help identify practical challenges and gaps, particularly in relation to data collection, submission, verification, and integration with the FCWC VMS.
Beyond technical testing, the pilot seeks to strengthen collaboration and communication between national fisheries administrations and the Regional MCS Centre, while ensuring the process is clearly understood by vessel operators and national stakeholders. The process will generate evidence-based recommendations and operational guidance to inform the full-scale roll-out of the RRAFV across all FCWC Member States, ensuring a harmonised, transparent, and sustainable regional system.
After the pilot phase, an evaluation will be presented to the FCWC Task Force and the Conference of Ministers for endorsement. The RRAFV system will ultimately be hosted by the FCWC, with access granted to all Member States.
Ministerial endorsement
During the courtesy visit, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong commitment to regional collaboration and sustainable fisheries governance.
“We look forward with keen interest to the outcome of this pilot, which we expect will demonstrate feasibility, identify operational gaps and generate practical lessons to support wider regional adoption. Nigeria is fully prepared to use its experience as a pilot country to encourage, guide and support other Member States in the effective implementation of the Regional Record of Authorised Fishing Vessels, in the collective interest of sustainable fisheries management in the Gulf of Guinea.”
From pilot to regional standard
The launch of the pilot marks the operational beginning of a new chapter in regional fisheries governance, grounded in shared verification, transparency, and collective accountability.
“By launching the first pilot in Nigeria, the FCWC and its partners TMT and SIF are demonstrating how collective commitments can translate into practical systems that strengthen MCS, fisheries management, and build trust among Member States,” said Gareth Johnstone, Executive Director at TMT.
If successfully implemented across the region, the RRAFV will help ensure that only authorised vessels operate in shared waters, reducing space for IUU fishing and strengthening deterrence. Greater transparency also creates clearer signals for compliant operators, helping reward responsible behaviour and supporting more stable, predictable economic conditions in the sector.
TMT is committed to supporting the RRAFV as a regional instrument for cooperation and accountability, helping turn transparency into practical enforcement and sustainable fisheries management into a measurable regional standard.