Regional workshop launches U.S. funded project to strengthen efforts against illegal fishing in the Western Indian Ocean
- estrazimiri
- Sep 26
- 3 min read
Illegal fishing remains one the greatest threats to sustainable fisheries, ocean governance, marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). Addressing this challenge requires strong collaboration, enhanced capacity and actionable intelligence across borders. Against this backdrop, TMT together with its partner C4ADS, co-organised a regional workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 26-27 August 2025.
The workshop marked the formal inception of a US State Department-funded project entitled Exposing IUU Fishing and Illicit Activity in the WIO and Beyond through Capacity Building, Actionable Analysis, and Regional Collaboration. The project focuses on intelligence, analytical support and capacity building to strengthen national and regional fisheries patrol operations.
Participants included representatives from fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (CS) agencies from the four beneficiary countries – Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania – as well as from the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), which is responsible for coordinating the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Plan (PRSP). Established in 2007, the PRSP is a regional fisheries patrol and MCS mechanism that today covers seven participating States. The workshop also benefited from technical contributions by fellow members of the Joint Analytical Cell (JAC) including Global Fishing Watch, Skylight and the IMCSN.
As illegal fishing networks evolve and exploit gaps in enforcement, regional actors have recognised the need to strengthen surveillance operations with innovative and cost-effective technologies. Building on discussions within the IOC-PRSP on improving the effectiveness of joint fisheries surveillance missions, this project was designed to leverage emerging tools that are increasingly accessible in terms of both availability and affordability. Through the JAC, the project implementing partners TMT and C4ADS will provide access to and training on no-cost, open-source tools such as the Global Fishing Watch map, Triton, CRAVT, Skylight as well as other Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) platforms in the context of fisheries patrol pre-operational and live analyses. A as a result, participating authorities will be better equipped to plan and execute patrols based on intelligence, identify and prioritise high-risk vessels in near real-time, and ensure that scarce enforcement resources are deployed more effectively and with greater deterrent impact.
The workshop also provided an opportunity for exchange among participating countries. Representatives shared insights into their respective national mechanisms for patrol planning and execution, focusing on national MCS priorities, assets and tools available and inter-agency interoperability. The IOC further presented achievement of the PRSP to date and how regional patrols are usually planned and conducted based on joint planning exercises through the Regional Coordination Unit (RCU). This includes data sharing through the regional Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), and the pooling of assets and inspectors from the region.
JAC members presented the suite of tools and training modules that will be rolled out in the four countries, focusing on analytical and capacity training support proposed for pre-patrol, live and post-patrol stages. These presentations were informed by content developed for regional patrol operations in which members of the technical team took part in, including West Africa region and the Pacific Ocean, as well as analytical outputs developed during two PRSP patrols (63rd and 65th) recently supported by the JAC under this project on a pilot basis.
Discussions among country representatives, IOC and JAC partners focused on identifying key needs and upcoming patrol plans (both at national and regional level) around which project activities will be organized in 2026. With an emphasis on promoting risk-based planning and intelligence-led execution of patrols, upcoming project activities will aim to strengthen the capacities of national authorities participating in the Regional Coordination Unit.
Participants welcomed the inception of this project, noting its timeliness as the IOC-PRSP faces a crossroads in both its current funding and institutionalisation process. In his closing remarks, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Andrew Lentz from the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Western Indian Ocean coastal States in their fight against illegal fishing.
