Illegal trawling by foreign industrial fishing fleets, mainly from China, is causing major economic, social, and environmental harm across Africa’s coastal nations. Countries like Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Namibia, and Angola lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Foreign trawlers often use flags of convenience, shell companies, and joint ventures to dodge local laws and overfish valuable species such as horse mackerel, hake, sardinella, and small pelagic fish, which are crucial to coastal communities for food and jobs.

These illegal practices deplete fish stocks, push artisanal fishers deeper into poverty, drive up food insecurity, and undermine livelihoods for millions of people working in fishing and related trades.