Why in news?
At the 11th Our Ocean Conference held in Mombasa in June 2026, sixteen countries adopted the Mombasa Declaration on fisheries transparency. The declaration commits signatories to improve monitoring of fishing vessels, share data on vessel ownership and support the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Background
IUU fishing costs the global economy up to $50 billion each year and threatens fish stocks, food security and livelihoods, especially in coastal developing countries. Lack of transparency in vessel ownership and operations allows rogue actors to exploit the oceans. The Mombasa Declaration builds on earlier initiatives to promote open data and accountability in fisheries.
Main commitments
- Data collection and sharing: Countries will strengthen the collection of data on vessel licences, ownership and fishing activities and make this information publicly available.
- Global Charter support: Signatories pledge to implement the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, a set of principles that seeks to standardise data disclosure across jurisdictions.
- Collaborative enforcement: The declaration encourages cooperation among governments, regional fisheries bodies and civil society to detect and deter IUU fishing.
- Signatory countries: Participating nations include Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, France (for its overseas territories), Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Somalia and South Korea.
Conclusion
The Mombasa Declaration signals growing global momentum for transparent and sustainable fisheries. Improved data and cooperation can help protect marine ecosystems, safeguard coastal livelihoods and curb economic losses from illegal fishing.