Words by Dr Victoria Ndinelago Erasmus

Dr Victoria Ndinelago Erasmus is a marine researcher whose research interest is centred around climate change, stock assessment, sustainable utilization and management of marine resources, ocean governance, and food security.

This paper was co-authored with Richard Achankeng Nyiawung, a doctoral student at the University of Guelph.

Why are fewer wild-caught fisheries certified in Africa?

• The Africa continent is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, rich with a diversity of fish and other ocean resources. Coastal communities are attached to the ocean for economic and socio-cultural reasons such as fishing and the performance of traditional rites.

• The global sustainability of wild-caught fisheries remains an important aspect of achieving SDG 14. This has led to the establishment of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) which sets standards which wild-caught fisheries around the globe must meet to be certified. Fishery products harvested through MSC certified fisheries carry the eco-label, which informs the consumers they are buying and consuming seafood from a fishery that harvested and managed in a sustainable manner.

• Despite the significant role of MSC in ensuring sustainable harvesting of marine resources, only two large scale fisheries in Africa are certified, i.e., the South African Hake and the Namibian hake fisheries. None of the larger number of small-scale fisheries common in Africa have been able to meet the MSC standards and become certified.

• Many international organizations have been supporting African fisheries through fishery improvements projects (FIPs) to be able to meet the MSC standard and possibly decide if they want to be certified or not

• Achieving the MSC certification is onerous and expensive. Africa’s small-scale fisheries are challenged with poor governance and minimal ecosystem-based management of fishery resources. Also, these fisheries do not have the financial capabilities to navigate the MSC assessment processes and become certified.

• Despite these challenges, there are few local schemes in Africa promoting certification activities. Also, many Africans are not aware of the importance to consume fish from sustainable sources. Thus, there is a need for actors across the continent to establish environmental awareness campaigns and sensitization of the public on sustainable fisheries practices and the sustainable use of ocean resources.

Read the science

Nyiawung, R. A., & Erasmus, V. N. (2022). Ocean and Marine Stewardship in Africa: The Marine Stewardship Council Certification in Namibia and The Gambia. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 873397. Available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.873397 (open-access).

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