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3 Projected Framework for Fisheries Legislative Process
3.1 Overview
Somalia has one of the longest coastlines in Africa and occupies a strategic location in the Horn of Africa.
There is little evidence on the extent of recent exploitation of fisheries resources of Somalia. Reports
indicate heavy fishing took place in the 1950s and 1960s FAO, 2003. Instability in Somalia over the last
two decades and the uncontrolled fishing during that period might have created additional burden for
fisheries stocks restoration, due to combined effect of local artisanal fishing and heavy illegal fishing by
foreign vessels from neighboring and far away countries. Due to this uncontrolled exploitation of the
fisheries, there is little evidence to tell on the amount of fish caught by local artisanal fishing and foreign
illegal fishing vessels.
Somalia has potential abundance of fish and various marine resources. Like all other sectors of the
Somali economy, the fisheries sector has not been managed properly for over two decades. The absence
of central government with proper legislative and enforcement tools and mechanisms has led to the
proliferation of illegal activities in the country and its marine environment, including: illegal fishing by
foreign fishing vessels, alleged dumping of toxic waste and piracy in near shore and high seas
Steenhard, 2012.
The escalation of piracy in the region resulted in the buildup of anti‐piracy foreign navies, apparently, to
provide protection to international shipping lanes. However, the presence of these foreign naval vessels
has contributed to the unintended consequence of the proliferation of illegal foreign fishing in Somali
waters. With the diminishing effects of piracy in the regions, the combined impacts of illegal fishing
increased much more than before the coming of the foreign naval forces, according to fishermen in the
survey for the study of illegal fishing. These foreign illegal fishing vessels are estimated to have a
combined annual fish catch valued at about US 300 million HSTF, 2006. Some estimates are even
much higher.
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The issue of illegal fishing is a very serious problem for Somalia and needs a serious and an
immediate solution, not without input from the international community that had a role in its growth,
unintended, as it may be. This section is a framework for fisheries legislation and describes the stakeholder
participatory process in formulating fisheries legislation for the country ANNEX I.
3.2 Stakeholder Participation
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