{"id":8794,"date":"2022-04-28T11:01:10","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T10:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/?p=8794"},"modified":"2022-04-28T11:01:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T10:01:12","slug":"spotlight-on-the-use-of-african-flag-registries-by-high-risk-fishing-operators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maritimafrica.com\/en\/spotlight-on-the-use-of-african-flag-registries-by-high-risk-fishing-operators\/","title":{"rendered":"SPOTLIGHT ON: THE USE OF AFRICAN FLAG REGISTRIES BY HIGH-RISK FISHING OPERATORS"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Duncan Copeland Executive Director, TMT and Dr Ian M Ralby CEO, I.R. Consilium<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A new Spotlight report by TMT, in cooperation with <\/strong>I.R. Consilium<\/u><\/strong><\/a>, examines both how foreign \ufb01shing operators are accessing and exploiting African \ufb02ag registries for their \ufb01shing vessels in pursuit of legal impunity, and how weaknesses in African \ufb02agging regimes attract this exploitation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The global fishing market is projected to be worth $194 billion by 2027, so there is ample \ufb01nancial reward to be gained by \ufb01shing illegally. High-risk \ufb01shing vessel owners – those operations that are most likely to engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) \ufb01shing, unsustainable and\/or destructive \ufb01shing practices, and\/or those involving broader forms of associated crimes – are looking to create a situation where they can harness the resources of a State without any meaningful restrictions or management oversight. <\/span><\/p>\n

Challenges with maritime governance and limited \ufb01sheries enforcement capacity across the continent of Africa, combined with the relative health of African \ufb01sheries, makes the continent an ideal venue for high-risk \ufb01shing operators to test a variety of tactics for evading accountability. Recognizing this phenomenon is a critical \ufb01rst step in discerning what can be done about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

While concerns have been raised and discussed for many years about the \u2018genuine link\u2019 between the \ufb02ag state and the bene\ufb01cial owners and\/or operators of vessels, broader \ufb02ag-related concerns continue to emerge around \ufb01shing vessels that indicate a growing relationship between the \ufb02ag of the vessel and high-risk \ufb01shing practices. These practises are particularly acute in Africa, where some \ufb01shing vessel owners and operators exploit African \ufb02ags to escape e\ufb00ective oversight and to \ufb01sh unsustainably and illegally both in sovereign African waters and in areas beyond national jurisdiction.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Spotlight report examines two distinct high-risk \ufb02agging processes: <\/span><\/p>\n

1) \u2018\ufb02ags of convenience<\/strong>\u2019, the use of African open registries to \ufb01sh in waters beyond the national jurisdiction of African nations, and <\/span><\/p>\n

2) \u2018\ufb02agging-in<\/strong>\u2019, the use and abuse of various local rules to \ufb02ag a foreign-owned and operated vessel into a domestic African registry to \ufb01sh in African waters. Both these processes a\ufb00ord high-risk foreign \ufb01shing operators the opportunity to more easily \ufb01sh illegally and unsustainably, which in turn undermines the sovereign rights of coastal African States.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report identifies that the majority of African coastal States have flagged fishing vessels that have gone on to conduct illegal fishing activities, as identified through IUU listings or domestic information sources. Several case studies are provided that offer insight into how high-risk fishing operators are benefitting from their access to African flags.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Africa turns to face ever increasing challenges in the maritime domain, ensuring that high-risk fishing operations and vessels are excluded from national flags is a critical step to securing the waters of Africa for the legitimate and sustainable enrichment of coastal States. <\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is that for any State facing these challenges and that cares about its sovereignty and reputation, there are several ways to curtail opportunities for high-risk actors to appropriate and subsequently misuse its \ufb02ag, including:<\/span><\/p>\n