Tighter measures against illegal fishing

Government has announced it was stepping up the fight against illegal fishing, an activity which resulted in huge losses to the country. According to the deputy minister of fisheries, Gabriel Muthisse, the supervision of the country's waters and control of illegal fishing had the support of several national and international organizations. "Illegal fishing is a challenge we have to face", said Muthisse. "In Mozambique we are improving the surveillance schemes".

The government has already been creating an inter-ministerial commission to control fishing. It will consist of representatives of the Fisheries Ministry and other governmental organizations that operate in maritime affairs. The commission will have to develop mechanisms to ensure that Mozambican waters are patrolled, and are not violated by illegal vessels.

Although there are no exact figures, the Fisheries Ministry estimates that about 35 million U.S. dollars are lost annually due to illegal fishing in Mozambican waters.
Only three vessels are dedicated to fisheries inspection - two owned by the government and one on hire. In addition, there are fisheries inspectors positioned on shore in much of the country. (AIM)