A transparency pledge from Mombasa
Illegal fishing became a central maritime security issue on 17 June 2026, when governments meeting at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa adopted the Mombasa Declaration. The text aims to make fishing fleets easier to track by improving access to vessel data, ownership records and fishing licences. First reports listed 15 signatories, while the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency later listed 16, including Gabon. France joined through its overseas territories.
Major fishing powers remain largely absent
The political gap is clear: most major fishing powers did not sign. China, Indonesia, Russia, India, the United States and Vietnam were absent, while Peru appears on the signatory list despite being one of the world’s leading capture producers. This matters because these large fishing nations represent a major share of global catches. The declaration therefore sends a strong signal, but it does not yet include several of the fleets whose role is most important for global enforcement.
For years, parts of the fishing industry resisted transparency, either to hide illegal activity or to protect rich fishing grounds from competitors. Global Fishing Watch chief executive Tony Long said illegal fishing has long “thrived in the dark”. Many vessels also hide their real owners behind flags of convenience. The result is not only illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, but also unsafe labour conditions and human rights abuses at sea.
Transparency, vessel tracking and shared data are now seen as essential tools; without major fishing powers, implementation remains the main test before the next Our Ocean Conference in 2027.
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