South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation facts for kids

The South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) is a group that helps control fishing and related activities in the southeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. Its main goal is to make sure that fish and other sea creatures are protected and used wisely for a long time.

Why SEAFO Was Created

Before SEAFO, there was another group called the International Commission for South East Atlantic Fisheries (ICSEAF). This group was in charge of managing fishing in the region, including areas near Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. However, ICSEAF didn't work very well. Countries were catching too many fish, and there weren't good rules to stop them.

During the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, a lot of fish like hake and horse mackerel were caught. For example, in 1972, a huge amount of hake (820,000 tonnes) was caught, but then the numbers dropped quickly because there weren't as many fish left.

When Namibia became an independent country in 1990, it took control of its own fishing waters. The old group, ICSEAF, stopped working. This left the open ocean areas (called the high seas) without anyone managing the fishing.

Because of this, Namibia suggested creating a new organization in 1995. They were worried that too much fishing in the open ocean would harm fish that also swim into Namibia's waters. Many countries that fished in the area, like the European Union, Iceland, Japan, and Norway, agreed.

After several years of talks, SEAFO was officially created in 2000. It started working in 2003. SEAFO's rules are based on important international agreements about ocean laws and fish stocks.

How SEAFO Works

SEAFO is run by a group called the Commission, which is the main decision-making body. They meet every year to:

• Make rules for fishing and protecting sea life.
• Check if countries are following the rules.
• Decide on the budget.

Decisions are usually made when everyone agrees. Countries contribute money to SEAFO based on a basic fee and how much fish they catch.

SEAFO also has a Scientific Committee. This group gives expert advice to the Commission about the health of fish populations and how many fish can be caught safely.

The daily work of SEAFO is handled by its Secretariat, which is located in Swakopmund, Namibia.

SEAFO's Main Ideas for Fishing

SEAFO has important rules for managing the ocean's living resources. These rules help make sure fishing is done in a way that protects the ocean for the future.

Being Careful with Fish Stocks

• Using the best science: SEAFO tries to base its decisions on the best scientific information available.
• Being careful (precautionary approach): If scientists don't have enough information about a fish species or an ocean area, SEAFO takes a careful approach. This means they might limit fishing until they know more, to avoid harming the fish or the environment.
• Protecting the whole ecosystem: SEAFO doesn't just focus on the fish being caught. It also aims to protect all the other animals that live in the same area, like seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles. They also work to reduce harm to the ocean environment and its many different types of life.

Fish and Sea Creatures SEAFO Protects

SEAFO covers many different types of sea life, including:

• Fish: Such as orange roughy, alfonsino, Patagonian toothfish, hake, horse mackerel, and some types of sharks and rays.
• Molluscs: Like octopus and squid.
• Crustaceans: Such as deep-sea red crab.

Some of the most important fish for commercial fishing are orange roughy, alfonsino (caught by nets dragged along the bottom), deep-sea red crab (caught with traps), and Patagonian toothfish (caught with long lines).

Many of the fish SEAFO manages live in deep waters (more than 500 meters deep). These deep-sea creatures often grow slowly, live a long time, and have babies later in life. This means they can be easily overfished and are very vulnerable.

How SEAFO Manages Fishing

SEAFO has put in place smart ways to manage deep-sea fishing, keeping in mind the careful approach and protecting the whole ocean ecosystem.

Rules to Protect Sea Life

Since 2005, SEAFO has adopted several important rules:

• Limiting catches: They set limits on how many deep-sea red crabs and Patagonian toothfish can be caught to make sure there are enough left for the future.
• Protecting seabirds: They have rules to reduce the number of seabirds, like petrels and albatrosses, that accidentally get caught in fishing gear.
• Banning shark finning: It's against the rules to cut off shark fins and throw the rest of the shark back into the ocean.
• Helping sea turtles: Fishermen must quickly release any sea turtles that get tangled in their gear.
• Closing sensitive areas: SEAFO has closed off fishing in certain fragile ocean areas, like seamounts (underwater mountains), to protect them.

Checking Fishing Activities

SEAFO has strict ways to monitor and control fishing:

• Onboard observers: Fishing vessels must have scientific observers on board. These observers collect important information about the catch and the fish.
• Satellite tracking (VMS): All fishing vessels in the SEAFO area must have a satellite tracking system. This system sends their location, so SEAFO knows where they are fishing.
• Port inspections: Vessels are inspected when they come into port to make sure they followed the rules.
• Banning fishing in vulnerable areas: Fishing is not allowed in sensitive marine areas, especially those with important seamounts.
• Stopping illegal fishing: SEAFO bans transferring fish from one boat to another at sea. This helps fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• Approved vessel list: SEAFO keeps a list of all fishing vessels that are allowed to fish in its area.
• IUU vessel list: They also keep a list of vessels that are suspected of illegal fishing.

Working with Other Groups

SEAFO believes it's important to work with other countries and organizations that care about the South East Atlantic Ocean.

Regional Cooperation

SEAFO works closely with Angola, Namibia, South Africa, and the UK's overseas territories in the region. They make sure their fishing rules are similar for fish that swim between national waters and the open ocean. SEAFO also shares information with groups like the Benguela Current Commission, which studies the ocean environment in the area.

International Cooperation

SEAFO also works with other international groups that manage fisheries around the world, such as:

• North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)
• Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
• Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
• International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)

They share experiences and information, especially about accidental catches and illegal fishing. SEAFO also works with the United Nations to improve how high seas fisheries are managed globally.

You can find more information about SEAFO on their website [1].