Mozambique: Reference interest rate for credit remains at 24.10% for the fifth straight month
Folha de Maputo (File photo)
Mozambique loses US$57 million annually to illegal fishing and environmental damage resulting from the absence of effective maritime surveillance along the approximately 2,800 km of coastline, AIM writes.
According to Leonid Chimarizene, Director of Operations of the Minister of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries (MIMAIP), the Mozambican coast is different from that of most other coastal countries, as it allows maritime traffic to dock almost anywhere. In other countries mooring must take place in a port.
“This means that we have to have inspectors along the entire coast. This is one of the challenges we face in combating illegal fishing, but we are working to overcome this problem through community fishing councils, which include fishermen organised into associations,” said Chimarizene.
As an example, the Community Fisheries Council of the Costa do Sol in Maputo city carries out self-inspection of all fishermen in that area and can thus identify anyone attempting to fish illegally. “It’s a participatory inspection,” Chimarizene said.
Fisheries authorities in the country are also concerned about recreational boats that visit the coast, mostly from South Africa, which aggravate the illegal fishing situation. In many cases, these vessels are used for illegal fishing and various types of trafficking, among other illegalities.
Then there are recreational boats that go unhindered to prohibited areas, hunt and fish protected fauna using inappropriate means and practice contraband and other prohibited activities.
In the case of small-scale fishing, the fines imposed on illegal fishers have significantly improved. Fishermen caught in flagrante delicto are fined and fishing gear confiscated. This year, 32 illegal fishermen were fined.
Losses from illegal fishing
In addition to losing large sums to recreational craft, the country also loses to unlicensed fishermen who invade national waters with the intention of hovering up existing resources, especially shrimp and various fish. “The Mozambican state loses millions of meticais to unlicensed operatives, illegal export and unprocessed traffic,” Chimarizene says.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.