AFRAN in the Indian Ocean - research on IUU Fishing

The AFRAN Indian Ocean call for Initiatives has been launched in 2023, following the launch of AFRAN Indian Ocean Hub at the occasion of the 2023 AFRAN Forum. This call for initiatives aims to facilitate research and innovation exchanges across the Indian Ocean, particularly between La Réunion Island and Australia, but also with a regional reach. This call was supported by the AFRAN Forum 2023’s partner organisations – the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the Embassy of France in Australia.

The program has awarded 3 grants across the fields related to IUU Fishing, which involved 3 countries, Australia, France and India, as well as a wide range of partners: The University of Western Australia, Interpol, the United Nations Interregional rime and Justice Research Institute, the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, the University of Melbourne, IORA, IOC, Murdoch University, the Centre for Air Power Studies (New Delhi), and the University of Tours (France).

Check the report summaries of these research projects!

• Understanding the spill-over of transnational crime in the Indian Ocean small island developing states on France d'Outre-mer and Australia – Jade Lindley

This project allowed the study of transnational organised crime within the Indian Ocean region, combining available literature, and publicly available datasets. Findings show that small island developing states are disproportionately vulnerable to environmental and marine-based crime such as IUU fishing. Responding to these crimes requires local, regional and international cooperation. Increasing the economic benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources to small island developing states, fighting against corruption of public officials by protecting whistleblowers, and organising a regionally-led response to IUU fishing are essential steps to strengthen local communities’ empowerment to combat IUU fishing.

• Western Indian Ocean IUU Fishing Consultations – Lisa Singh

Led by the Australia-India Institute, this project aims at building engagement with stakeholders in Mauritius, including regional organisations (IORA and IOC) to strengthen diplomatic and academic partnerships, enhance focus on regional security and maritime challenges, reinforce strategic multilateral engagement, find opportunities for cultural and educational exchange, and gather insights into economics and sustainability issues for a sustainable management of marine resources. Connections with the Prefect of La Réunion, French maritime security experts, IOC, and IORA highlighted their roles to foster cohesive strategies for sustainable development and geopolitical stability in the region.

A webinar was organised to discuss Indian Ocean security challenges, such as the lack of fishing regulations, the heterogeneity of countries’ capacity to enforce these regulations, the corruption, misinformation campaigns, the disproportioned representation of Indian Ocean countries on international bodies, as well as the lack of research on the scale of IUU fishing in the Indian Ocean. Australia, India and France have an important cooperation potential at military, policy and academic levels to create a cohesive approach to maritime security.

The webinar is available on this link: https://aii.unimelb.edu.au/trilateral-cooperation-on-maritime-security-addressing-challenges-in-the-indian-ocean-region/

• Bringing IUU Fishing in the surveillance architecture in the Indian Ocean Region: Policy suggestions for India-France-Australia maritime regional cooperation - Pooja Bhatt, Mark Briskey, Alexandra Nicolas

The project included visits of coastal regions to assess the scale and impact of IUU fishing on communities, and meetings with local actors, government officials, scientists and law enforcement agencies in the field of fisheries management and governance. Bringing perspectives from India, Australia and the Pacific, where the challenges are different, this project aims at giving recommendations to fight IUU fishing. In India, a better legal framework for defining IUU fishing and reporting catch, and the strengthening of capacities for surveillance and enforcement are recommended. An optimised regional cooperation for information and technology sharing would allow India to align its domestic efforts with the existing regional and global mechanisms. In Ecuador, where there is a strong porosity between environmental infringements and cocaine trafficking, a better control and improvement of the marketing channels for by-products linked to fishing are recommended.

All the reports state the importance of international cooperation, awareness and adhesion of local fishermen for environmental protection, as well as the promotion of artisanal fishing.