Global Security and Strategic Competition: Maritime Battlespace
Loading...
Authors
Walzer, Lawrence
Subjects
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing maritime security
Gulf of Guinea
regional cooperation
Gulf of Guinea
regional cooperation
Advisors
Date of Issue
2025-02-28
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens the economic and maritime security of Gulf of Guinea (GoG) states by undercutting local livelihoods and robbing nations of vital revenue. Despite multiple countermeasures, most regional undertakings are limited by capacity, funding, and political will. This study aims to determine how emerging threats influence IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea and how varying approaches from GoG nations to counter IUU fishing impact regional cooperation and security. Research indicates that up to 40% of global IUU fishing occurs in West Africa’s waters alone, resulting in annual losses of $2.3 billion, 11–26 million tons of fish, and 300,000 jobs (Okafor-Yarwood, 2023). Regional governments cannot effectively monitor illegal operations in their coastal waters, as seen in the challenges of overfishing, especially with foreign fishing fleets from China and the European Union (EU). Some countries exploit West Africa’s weak governance, corruption, and regulatory loopholes to operate under local flags or via opaque access agreements, underscoring its wider security ramifications. Through interdisciplinary research, this study incorporates case studies from select Gulf of Guinea nations to assess domestic and regional responses in combatting IUU fishing. The cases include Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. A thorough analysis of the political dynamic within these countries helped determine the strategies and prioritizations given to combatting IUU fishing and the strength of national counter-IUU fishing efforts. The findings from this study reveal that the political landscape directly influences the priority and effectiveness of national counter-IUU fishing efforts. International assessments show that most GoG states fall short in addressing IUU fishing, and understanding these political factors is essential for comprehending the wide-ranging approaches to combating this threat. These challenges require greater maritime domain awareness, regional cooperation and collaboration, and enforcement methods that leverage emerging technologies.
Type
Report
Description
NPS NRP Executive Summary
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
N7 - Warfighting Development
Funding
This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)
Format
5 p.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.