How 15 Countries Are Joining Forces to End Illegal Fishing
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📰 The quick summary: Fifteen countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe signed the Mombasa Declaration, committing to share fisheries data and harmonize regulations to more effectively fight illegal fishing that threatens food security and fish stocks worldwide.
📈 One key stat: In Ghana alone, 60% of animal protein comes from fish and 10% of the population depends on the fisheries value chain for their livelihood, showing just how critical tackling illegal fishing is for food security and economic survival.
💬 One key quote: “Illegal fishing perpetrators are getting more and more sophisticated in the way they are evading from one country’s laws and regulations by moving to another one,” said Cephas Asare, West Africa regional manager for the Environmental Justice Foundation.
1️⃣ The big picture: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a major global problem that costs West African countries millions of dollars every year, threatens fish stocks, and undermines food security for millions of people. On June 17, 2026, fifteen countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe adopted the Mombasa Declaration at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. By signing on, these nations committed to advancing fisheries transparency and strengthening joint efforts to combat illegal fishing. Signatory countries plan to harmonize regulations, share vessel data, publish fishing licenses and quotas, and ensure that all industrial fishing vessels carry unique identifiers. Seven of the fifteen signing nations came from Africa, including Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Somalia, reflecting the continent’s deep dependence on healthy fish stocks.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: For the first time, countries from four different regions are aligning on a shared framework to track and expose illegal fishing operations that previously escaped accountability simply by crossing borders. Sharing vessel data and harmonizing regulations closes the loopholes that illegal operators have long exploited, making it significantly harder for them to evade the law. Healthier, better-managed fish stocks benefit coastal communities that rely on fishing for food and income, particularly across West Africa where fish provides the majority of dietary protein for many populations. Publishing fishing licenses, access agreements, and quota allocations brings a new level of public accountability to an industry that has historically operated with very little transparency. Over time, stronger international cooperation like this can help restore depleted fish populations, protect marine ecosystems, and safeguard the long-term food security of millions of people.
3️⃣ What’s next: Signatory countries called on other coastal states at the Mombasa conference to adopt the declaration as well, signaling ambitions to expand the coalition further. Each signing nation now needs to implement the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, including publishing licenses and rolling out unique vessel identifiers for both industrial and small-scale fishing fleets. Ongoing information sharing between countries will be essential to track vessels that attempt to evade regulations by moving between jurisdictions.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – To help combat illegal fishing, 15 countries commit to sharing fisheries data
