African leaders call for “African Vigilance” to strengthen cooperation against illegal fishing

As the 2026 Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa came to a close, one message was clear across discussions on fisheries governance, maritime security and ocean sustainability: no country can tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing alone.

Hosted in Africa for the first time, the conference placed strong emphasis on regional cooperation, transparency and African-led solutions. Across plenary sessions, side events and bilateral discussions, participants highlighted the need to move beyond isolated interventions towards stronger institutions and more connected systems capable of addressing shared ocean challenges.

These themes were at the centre of a high-level side eventthat brought together Ministers from Angola, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa, and Senior Officials from Nigeria and Liberia to discuss: “Securing our ocean and fisheries: Regional leadership uniting for a transparent and sustainable blue African future”.

The African leaders were joined by champions from the convening organisations: the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and its Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC), the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) Secretariat and its Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Centre (RMCSC), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Together, their vibrant discussions portrayed a strong picture of a continent moving beyond ad hoc cooperation towards more permanent and institutionalised collaboration in the fight against illegal fishing.

Speakers highlighted practical examples of how regional cooperation, transparency and information-sharing have helped prevent illegal operators from exploiting gaps between jurisdictions. There was a focus on two examples, based on the fishing vessels PREMIER and NOVA ZEELANDIA that demonstrated how cooperation between the SADC and FCWC regions has evolved.

These cases showed how collaborative investigations have led to enforcement action against illegal operators, denying them access to resources, ports and markets. But the examples didn’t stop there, they went one step further, demonstrating how their analysis has shaped national, regional and global dialogue and policy reform leading to operational change and policy coherence across the continent.

Building on regional success

Panellists highlighted progress in both West and Southern Africa, where FCWC and SADC Member States are strengthening intelligence-sharing, monitoring and surveillance, transparency and compliance. A key development is the advancement of the SADC and FCWC regional MCS Centres, particularly their ongoing work to establish Regional Registers and Records of Fishing Vessels. These transparency and intelligence-sharing tools are essential to closing the gaps that illegal operators have used to move between jurisdictions, avoid detection and continue fishing illegally.

The SADC Regional Register and FCWC Regional Record will be aligned to enable effective cross-checking and information exchange and linkages with global fisheries information exchange tools. These include the FAO the Global Record and Global Information Exchange System which help to operationalise the FAO High Seas Compliance Agreement and the FAO Port State Measures Agreement, ensuring that regional transparency tools are connected to a wider global intelligence framework.

Ms Angele Makombo N’tumba, Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, SADC Secretariat, said: “The Regional Register of Fishing Vessels is a milestone policy agreement for SADC. It will change the course of events in our region. The commitment is here and shows that Africa is taking active measures to combat IUU fishing. This transparency will close the gap for illegal operators that operate in our region, denying them access to our resources, ports and markets. Our objective is that by 2028, this register will be operational.”

From regional cooperation to African Vigilance

A major outcome of the side event was strong support for the concept of African Vigilance.

African Vigilance is not a new institution. It is an emerging African-led vision for a connected network of centres working together across the continent to strengthen fisheries transparency, share information and coordinate responses to IUU fishing. The concept builds on existing regional institutions and recognises that sustainable progress depends on strengthening the systems that are already in place.

Participants emphasised that effective enforcement depends on trusted networks of partners and transparent information-sharing systems. African Vigilance seeks to connect and support these efforts to create a continental barrier against illegal fishing.

The message was reinforced throughout the event: fish have no passport, and illegal operators do not respect national borders. The only effective response is cooperation, transparency and shared vigilance.

Dr Antoine Gaston Djihinto, Secretary General of FCWC, said: “The progress we are seeing today reflects years of commitment by African countries to work together against IUU fishing. Our partnership with SADC demonstrates how regional organisations can help create a stronger and more transparent framework for fisheries governance across Africa. This will have an impact far beyond fisheries, improving food security, creating jobs and protecting vital environmental and economic resources for the future. We are calling on other countries and regions to join us towards further cooperation throughout the continent. The discussions we had today highlight that we need such ‘African Vigilance’.”

Looking ahead

African leaders called on governments, regional organisations and development partners to support African-led initiatives that strengthen sustainable fisheries governance, maritime security and an inclusive blue economy. A timely commitment made during the event was for the FCWC and SADC to formalise and expand collaboration between their respective regional monitoring centres as the first step towards operationalising African Vigilance.

Messages of support to the growing momentum within and between African regions were provided by Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of FAO, Her Excellency Siv Catherine Moe, Ambassador of Norway to Kenya, Mr Chuck Fox, Chief Executive Officer of Oceans 5, Dr Kristín von Kistowski of the World Bank and Ms Melisa Pullen sharing perspective from small-scale fisheries from Southern Africa.

The broader message from Mombasa was clear: the future of fisheries governance in Africa will be built through stronger institutions, greater transparency and deeper regional cooperation. Many of the examples discussed during the week would, only a few years ago, have been considered individual projects. Today, they are increasingly part of a broader architecture connecting countries, institutions and information systems across the continent.

African Vigilance is therefore not a future aspiration. It is already beginning to take shape through the practical cooperation, shared commitment and regional leadership demonstrated across Africa.

The side-event was possible thanks to the support of Oceans 5, the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, Stop Illegal Fishing, Trygg Mat Tracking, FishFORCE Academy and WWF.