Page 14 - Mozambique Report

Overf?shing

Like other coastal countries, Mozambique fishing sector is in a critical and vulnerable stage due to
pressure from over exploitation, illegal fishing, increased population along the coastal area, and this
has disrupted and undermined the ecosystem by use of wrong or inappropriate and destructive fishing
practices such as use of mosquito nets, gill nets, traps and poison, cutting of mangrove trees, and
also overlapping measures in place in a fight for resources (Pereira, 2011).

Country Profile
Poor information foundation for sustainable f?sheries management
Stock depletion of wild shrimp due to over fishing (Oceanic Développement, 2014).
• There is little information on the level of exploitation of the fish species targeted by artisanal
fisheries.
The Republic of Mozambique
• There is also limited information on by-catch species in shrimp fisheries.
• There is also limited information on the reproductive biology of the main species caught in
artisanal fisheries.
• Also, no specific studies have been undertaken to examine the damage caused to the seabed
by beach seines and other damaging fishing practices in Mozambique.
• Despite the importance of migratory species for the commercial, recreational and artisanal line
fisheries in Mozambique, no genetic studies been carried out and there are no specific species
management plans.

The opportunities
Strengthening the legal framework

The Fisheries Law (Lei de Pescas) gives responsibility for managing the sector to the Ministry of Fisheries.
However, the ministry is yet to take concrete actions towards the management of the fisheries. The
establishment of marine protected areas such as Parque Nacional das Qurimbas, Parque Nacional
de Bazaruto and Reserva Especial de Ponta de Ouro has been made to protect threatened species.
Other factors associated with Mozambique’s devastating position are poor and weak institutions,
drained and poor infrastructures and heavy tax costs that are being imposed thus hindering the
private sector investments, insufficient access to finance and failure to fully meet the international
export requirements.

Target 14.4: Conserve coastal and marine areas

UN definition: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and.
unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans,
in. order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum
Status:
• Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable level – No data

• Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported
and unregulated fishing – No data

Source: (UN Stats 2019)

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