FOURTEEN national governments from across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific today adopted the Mombasa Declaration at the 11th Our Ocean Conference, committing to advance global fisheries transparency and strengthen efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Mombasa Declaration is a call to action for coastal and flag States on fisheries transparency, with a particular focus on improving the collection and dissemination of vessel information and enabling better access to fisheries data. It builds support and momentum for the Global Charter for
Fisheries Transparency, which outlines 10 low-cost or no-cost policy principles that governments can adopt globally, in law and in practice.
Endorsed at Our Ocean by a diverse coalition of countries including Belgium, Cameroon, the Dominican Republic, France (on behalf of its overseas territories), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Somalia, South Korea, Chile and the Republic of Congo, the Mombasa Declaration unites nations committed to strengthening ocean governance and leading global action on fisheries transparency. Once adopted, signatory countries will begin implementing the Declaration.
The signing launches a campaign for other nations to join the effort in advance of the next Our Ocean Conference in 2027. Coastal communities, small-scale fishers, and economies that depend on marine wildlife bear the
brunt of IUU fishing, which threatens livelihoods, food security, and the long-term health of ocean ecosystems.
The Mombasa Declaration responds to these challenges by advancing practical transparency measures, outlined in the Global Charter, to improve access to information on vessel ownership, licensing, and fishing activity; strengthening accountability; and enabling more sustainable and equitable management of marine resources.
Speaking at the OOC in Mombasa, Kenya, Emelia Arthur, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Ghana, said, Fisheries are a matter of culture
and national security for many countries
“I’m happy that Ghana is among the first countries to sign the Mombasa
Declaration, because it provides a platform for all of us, the different governments, to come together and declare on an international platform that we are working together, fighting together for transparency in the fisheries sector,” he said.
French Minister Delegate for the Sea and Fisheries Catherine Chabaud said that France will support the Mombasa Declaration on Fisheries Transparency through its Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs).
“This initiative is based on a simple conviction: we will not be able to effectively combat IUU fishing without greater transparency and international cooperation. The Declaration provides an important opportunity for governments to demonstrate their political commitment to improving fisheries governance. We hope that many more countries will join this initiative and implement the commitments it promotes, making transparency the norm in the fisheries sector,” Chabaud said.
The Mombasa Declaration was developed with support from the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency and its partners, including academics and practitioners, who are working with governments to advance increased transparency and accountability in fisheries governance and management.
Through the Declaration, signatory countries commit to advancing concrete transparency reforms, including modernising vessel registries, publishing fishing authorisations, and strengthening information-sharing to support enforcement and accountability across fisheries sectors.
IUU fishing is a pervasive global challenge that undermines coastal communities, distorts markets, and weakens sound ocean governance. It contributes to declining fish stocks, threatening food security and livelihoods, and is often linked to serious human rights abuses, including unsafe working conditions and forced labour. Limited transparency in vessel ownership, tracking, and fishing activity and supply chains allows these practices to persist, making stronger access to reliable fisheries data and accountability mechanisms essential to protecting marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
According to Maisie Pigeon, director of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency, there is growing recognition that a productive and sustainable blue economy depends on strong ocean governance, effective monitoring, and accessible data.
“The countries signing the Mombasa Declaration today represent a diverse range of economies and geographies, demonstrating that momentum for transparency at sea is truly global. We look forward to working with these countries and others to advance meaningful fisheries reforms,” said Pigeon.
Beth Lowell, Vice President at Oceana, said the Mombasa Declaration signals that governments around the world are ready to act against illegal fishing and to work together for a more transparent, equitable, and sustainable ocean for all.
Tony Long, chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch, described the Mombasa Declaration as a turning point in confronting illegal fishing, which he says has, for too long, thrived in the dark.
“When governments commit to transparency by sharing vessel identities, ownership, or tracking data, they create an interconnected network where bad actors have nowhere left to hide. Global Fishing Watch stands ready to equip these nations with the open data and analytical power to drive these transparency measures forward,” said Long.
