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Illegal fishing drains billions from the global economy each year. [AFP]
Illegal fishing drains up to $50 billion (Sh6.47 trillion) from the world economy every year, yet the tools needed to stop it cost governments nothing to deploy.
That contradiction sat at the heart of a new transparency pledge signed by 15 countries in Mombasa last week, as advocates warned that political inaction, not technology or money, remains the biggest obstacle to cleaning up global fisheries.
The agreement, known as the Mombasa Declaration, calls for greater disclosure of vessel ownership, fishing authorisations, and catch activity in an effort to close enforcement gaps that have long allowed illegal operators to work undisturbed in international waters.
