Investigation No. 4 The multiple identities of the NAHAM-4
by FISH-i Africa
Summary
The NAHAM-4 investigation highlights the extent of vessel identity fraud occurring in the fishing industry.
Detailed description
The NAHAM-4 investigation highlights the extent of vessel identity fraud occurring in the fishing industry. The vessel, a tuna longliner was detained and later confiscated by South African authorities due to uncertainty about its identity, meanwhile at least four other vessels were identified as having operated with the name NAHAM-4. A global system of vessel identification, including using mandatory IMO numbers on industrial fishing vessels, is essential to overcome these issues.
The Western Indian Ocean is home to abundant fish resources that sustain a thriving fishing industry, which in turn support local economies and a provides food and jobs in the region and abroad. These resources also fuel one of the world’s illegal fishing hot spots – destroying the marine environment, robbing national economies, stealing food and livelihoods from local people, and undermining legitimate industry.
In response – eight countries – Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania – have joined forces to tackle this problem. These countries had already pledged to take actions against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, but in reality, with combined waters of nearly five million square kilometres and limited assets and capacity, overcoming the complex web of large-scale illegal fishing was a challenge that they could not take on individually.
So in late 2012 FISH-i Africa was formed with the aim to improve cooperation, information and intelligence sharing in order to take enforcement actions against illegal fishing operators.
