Strengthening Africa’s Capacity for Adherence to, Domestication and Implementation of Global Fisheries Management Instruments and their Implications for the African Continent

This Advocacy Note sets out the case for accelerated ratification, domestication and implementation of three Global fisheries management Instruments across the African continent: the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (1995), the FAO Compliance Agreement (1993) and the Port State Measures Agreement (2009). It is based on the AU-IBAR Continental Expert Training Workshop held in Lomé, Togo, from 10 to 12 March 2026 under the Sida-funded project on Conserving Aquatic Biodiversity in the African Blue Economy, which brought together African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Fisheries Bodies, academia, and development partners.
The Note finds that although awareness of the three Instruments is high, ratification and implementation remain uneven, constrained by weak vessel registries, limited Monitoring, Control and Surveillance capacity, insufficient port inspection and digital infrastructure, fragmented institutional coordination and inadequate financing. It documents the resulting exposure to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing and the corresponding gains from stronger adherence, including restored stocks, higher national revenues, improved market access, and greater negotiating influence within Regional Fisheries Management Organisations.
Eight priority recommendations are proposed, spanning political commitment, legal domestication, institutional and technical capacity, Regional coordination, sustainable financing, integrated aquatic biodiversity governance, knowledge sharing, and monitoring and accountability. These constitute a practical roadmap for translating the Lomé commitments into coordinated National, regional, and Continental action in support of Agenda 2063 and the Africa Blue Economy Strategy.