Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Zaha Waheed has called upon the nations of the Western India Ocean to collaborate to cease illegal fisheries in the region.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 10th General Assembly of Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission, Minister Zaha urged monitoring and control Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) to tackle illegal fishing in these zones. She also requested coastal nations to be more vigilant in efforts to play a more responsible and an active role in protecting the oceans.
Highlighting the Minimum Terms and Conditions Guideline is one measure to practice more control, the fisheries minister further asked the nations to adhere to the guidelines and be more observant in issuing licenses to foreign vessels. She requested the nations to be more strategic to ensure sustainability in fisheries, as regulatory measure due to lower stock will the impact the coastal countries more severely. According to Minister Zaha, the increasing number of loose buoys and industrial fleet are also concerns that need immediate attention. She requested all member countries to take action to reduce loose buoys and industrial fleets.
Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission is a subsidiary of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations formed by the costal nations in the Southwest Indian Ocean.
The 10th session of the commission held in Maldives from October 1-3 involves discussions on the current and anticipated future issues in the region.