MarCNoWA to intensify the fight against IUU fishing in North and West Africa
The Marine and Coastal Areas Management in North and West Africa (MarCNoWA) project will regularly provide fishing vessel traffic information about some fishing vessels operating in the North and West African waters. This is action is to provide the needed information to key stakeholders such as regional fisheries bodies and national agencies mandated to promote sustainable fisheries initiatives. The report will be based on data derived from Automatic Identification System (AIS) collected from satellite and terrestrial stations and made available via Spire's (formerly exactEarth's) constellation of satellites. It tends to enhance the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. An estimated $23.5 billion worth is attributed to IUU fishing annually worldwide and Africa accounts for over $2.3 billion of it. Studies show that illegal fishing amounts to the equivalent of 65% of the legal reported catch from West Africa and poses serious concerns for food secur