The Mozambican government has made the control of illegal fishing one of its priorities this year. The authorities plan to carry out at least 297 inspections in the provinces of Maputo, Sofala and Zambezia, as well as 253 patrol missions in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. In parallel, there will be 150 hours of surveillance flights over the Sofala bank and the Exclusive Economic Zone.
Illegal fishing for tuna and prawns in Mozambican waters resulted in losses of 67 million US dollars last year, according to the Ministry of Fisheries. These activities are mainly carried out by foreign boats entering the bays of Maputo and Sofala.
The Minister of Fisheries, Victor Borges, announced earlier this year the intensification of action to control fishing, including the adoption of policies to promote the sustainable exploitation, protection and conservation of resources, and the compliance with regulations by licensed operators.
Mozambique spends about USD 2.25 million each year in the fight against illegal fishing. However, this is considered to be low in comparison with the amount spent by other members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In an attempt to keep down costs Mozambique has been promoting joint patrols with neighboring South Africa, Madagascar and the Seychelles.
The illegality can take the form of fishing without a license or violating quotas. Not only does this result in financial losses for the state, but can result in overfishing leading to ecological threats.