maritime

ADF STAFF The Baba Ali, a Seychellois fishing vessel, was passing through the Seychelles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) when authorities intercepted it in May 2021. Through an operation coordinated by the Seychelles Air Force,…

ADF STAFF With piracy increasing in the waters off West Africa, Nigeria launched its Deep Blue Project, a multipronged approach to confronting crime in the Gulf of Guinea. The $195 million effort brings together a mix of ships,…

ADF STAFF Obangame Express 2022, the joint international exercise aimed at improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, produced real-world results in mid-March. As 32 nations participated in this year’s…

ADF STAFF Members of the Seychelles People’s Defence Force Tazar Special Forces boarded a ship, single file, with their guns drawn. “So, now we have the two security guys come up,” a U.S. Coast Guard instructor said. “Right here, this…

ADF STAFF West African officials are saying that the scourge of illegal fishing can only be addressed with a regionally united front. They are calling for greater cooperation on fisheries management, patrols and enforcement in…

ADF STAFF A pioneering oceanographer called on world leaders to ban industrial fishing in international waters to preserve fish populations and sustain the livelihoods of small fishing communities. Sylvia Earle, 86, made the…

ADF STAFF As many African nations struggle to control illegal fishing, some are turning to drones as a relatively cheap way to conduct surveillance over vast expanses of ocean. In March, the Seychelles Fisheries Authority announced…

ADF STAFF Somali authorities have vowed to crack down on foreign vessels fishing illegally in the country’s waters and protect the livelihoods of 70,000 people who work in its fisheries sector. The government’s announcement was made…

ADF STAFF Alagie Sarr remembers when fishermen in the coastal Gambian town of Gunjur could spend a few hours on the water and come back with a robust catch. Those days are over. Due to overfishing by foreign industrial vessels, a…

ADF STAFF Kenya is building a DNA database of its marine species, such as sharks, rays, crustaceans and mollusks, to conserve its aquatic resources in the face of widespread illegal fishing. The exercise involves harvesting species…