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 caught in a way that keeps them healthy for the future.

What is SEAFO?

Before Namibia became independent in 1990, another group called the International Commission for South East Atlantic Fisheries (ICSEAF) managed fishing in this area. ICSEAF was set up because many ships from far-off countries were catching a lot of fish near Namibia. However, ICSEAF didn't work very well. Countries didn't always follow the rules, and there weren't good ways to check if they were obeying.

Because of this, too many fish like hake and horse mackerel were caught in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. For example, in 1965, about 193,000 tonnes of hake were caught. By 1972, this jumped to 820,000 tonnes, but then it dropped a lot because there weren't as many fish left.

When Namibia became independent, it took control of its own fishing waters. ICSEAF stopped working, and the open ocean areas in the southeast Atlantic were left without anyone managing the fishing. This is why SEAFO was created.

SEAFO is a group of governments that works to protect and use fish resources wisely in the open ocean of the southeast Atlantic. This area is outside the special fishing zones of countries like Angola, Namibia, South Africa, and the UK's islands like St. Helena. It's a huge area, about 16 million square kilometers!

The idea for SEAFO came from Namibia in 1995. They were worried that valuable fish stocks, which swim between their waters and the open ocean, were being overfished. Other countries that fished in the area, like the European Union, Iceland, and Japan, liked this idea and helped create SEAFO.

After many talks from 1997 to 2000, the SEAFO agreement was made. It's based on important international laws about the sea and fish. The agreement was signed in 2001 by many countries and officially started in 2003.

The main decision-making group in SEAFO is called the Commission. It meets every year to create rules for fishing, check if countries are following them, and decide on the budget. Decisions are usually made when everyone agrees.

SEAFO also has a Scientific Committee. This group gives expert advice to the Commission about how many fish there are and how much can be caught. The daily work of SEAFO is handled by a team called the Secretariat, which is based in Swakopmund, Namibia.

How SEAFO Protects the Ocean

SEAFO has important rules for managing sea life. They always try to use the best scientific information available. If they don't have enough information, they use a "precautionary approach." This means they are extra careful to avoid harm until they know more.

SEAFO also uses an "ecosystem approach." This means they don't just think about the fish being caught. They also protect other animals that live in the same area, like seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea turtles. They want to make sure fishing doesn't harm the ocean environment or its many different types of life.

What Fish are Covered?

SEAFO protects many kinds of sea creatures. These include fish like orange roughy, Patagonian toothfish, and different types of hake and sharks. They also cover octopus, squid, and deep-sea red crabs.

Some of the most important fish for fishing are orange roughy and Patagonian toothfish. Orange roughy are caught by dragging nets along the bottom of the ocean. Patagonian toothfish are caught using long lines with many hooks. Deep-sea red crabs are caught using pots or traps.

Many of the fish SEAFO manages live in deep waters, often more than 500 meters down. These fish usually grow slowly, live a long time, and have babies later in life. This means they can be easily overfished. It's also hard to know a lot about them because they live so deep.

Fish that swim long distances, like tuna, swordfish, and some sharks, are managed by another group called ICCAT.

Rules for Fishing

SEAFO has created smart ways to manage deep-sea fishing. They use the careful approach and scientific advice. Since 2005, they have put in place several important rules:

• Limiting Catches: They set limits on how many deep-sea red crabs and Patagonian toothfish can be caught. This is to make sure there are enough fish for the future and to protect their homes.
• Protecting Seabirds: They have rules to reduce the number of seabirds, like petrels and albatrosses, that get accidentally caught in fishing gear.
• Banning Shark Finning: This rule stops boats from cutting off valuable shark fins and throwing the rest of the shark back into the ocean.
• Protecting Sea Turtles: Fishermen must quickly release any sea turtles that get tangled in their fishing gear.
• Closing Areas: They have closed off certain fragile ocean areas, like seamounts (underwater mountains), to protect them. This helps keep these special places safe while scientists learn more about them.

To make sure fishing rules are followed, SEAFO has strict monitoring and control measures:

• Observers on Boats: Fishing boats must have scientific observers on board. These people collect important information about the fish caught.
• Satellite Tracking: All fishing vessels in the SEAFO area must have a satellite tracking system. This helps SEAFO know where the boats are at all times.
• Port Inspections: Fishing boats are inspected when they come into port to make sure they followed the rules.
• No Fishing in Sensitive Areas: Fishing is not allowed in vulnerable marine areas, especially around important seamounts.
• No Transferring Fish at Sea: Boats are not allowed to transfer fish to other boats while at sea. This helps stop illegal fishing.
• Approved Fishing Vessels: SEAFO keeps a list of all fishing vessels that are allowed to fish in its area.
• List of Illegal Vessels: They also keep a list of vessels that are suspected of illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Working with Others

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

Locally, SEAFO works closely with Angola, Namibia, South Africa, and the UK's islands. They make sure their fishing rules match up for fish that swim between national waters and the open ocean. SEAFO also shares information with groups like the Benguela Current Commission (BCC), which studies the ocean environment.

Globally, SEAFO works with many other fishing management groups, such as the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). They share experiences, data about accidentally caught animals, and information about illegal fishing.

SEAFO also works closely with the United Nations, especially with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and DOALOS (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea). This helps make sure fishing in the open ocean is managed well.

You can find more information by emailing info@seafo.org or visiting the SEAFO website [1].