Africa seeks EU help to police Atlantic coasts

ABIDJAN – Twenty-two African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean want help from Europe to protect their waters from illegal fishing by foreign boats, the head of a regional body said on Friday.

“We will present a plan aimed at satellite monitoring of our maritime coasts, which stretch from Morocco to Namibia,” said Alphonse Douaty, president of the African Halieutic Ministerial Conference (COMHAFAT). Douaty is to make the request during a trip to the European Union headquarters in Brussels next week.He estimates that at least 40 per cent of Ivory Coast fish are taken illegally from its waters by foreign-registered vessels.With much of Europe’s waters overfished, the EU has agreements with several African countries allowing its trawlers to fish in their waters in exchange of millions of euros each year.Nampa-AFPDouaty is to make the request during a trip to the European Union headquarters in Brussels next week.He estimates that at least 40 per cent of Ivory Coast fish are taken illegally from its waters by foreign-registered vessels.With much of Europe’s waters overfished, the EU has agreements with several African countries allowing its trawlers to fish in their waters in exchange of millions of euros each year.Nampa-AFP