October 2018 — Per Erik Bergh (Managing Director) attended the Ninth Session of the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC).
The meeting, held from the 9th – 12th October 2018 in South Africa, was attended by delegates from France, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania. Representatives of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), European Union (EU), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF), World Bank (WB), Indian Ocean Commission (COI-IOC) and the Nairobi Convention (NC) attended the session as observers.
The reports of the Scientific Committee (SC) and the Working Party for Collaboration and Cooperation in Tuna Fisheries (WPCCTF) were presented, and the Guidelines for minimum terms and conditions (MTC) for foreign fishing access to the SWIOFC region discussed. Other matters discussed at the meeting included progress made towards the establishment of the SADC Regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) and the possibilities for collaboration between SWIOFC and Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA). The next meeting is scheduled for October 2019.
