High-Level IGAD Technical Consultation Workshop Establishment of Fisheries Forum Agency and Regional MCS Coordination Centre

High-Level IGAD Technical Consultation Workshop

Establishment of Fisheries Forum Agency and Regional MCS Coordination Centre

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 14 August 2025

From 12 to 14 August 2025, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened a high-level stakeholder consultation workshop in Addis Ababa to discuss the establishment of the IGAD Fisheries Forum Agency (IGAD FFA) and its associated Marine Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCS-CC). The event was organised by IGAD with the technical support of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) through the EU-funded ECOFISH Programme. It brought together over 45 participants, including senior government officials from IGAD Member States, development partners, regional organisations, private sector actors, and academia.

During the opening ceremony held on the August 12, Mr. Daher Elmi, IGAD Director of Agriculture & Environment Division, on behalf of his H.E. Dr Workneh, IGAD Executive Secretary, addressed the issues of food and nutrition security and job creation.

“The IGAD region is endowed with vast marine and freshwater resources…These resources support millions of people through employment and food/nutrition security…As IGAD we strongly believe that sustainable fisheries development and governance requires our collective actions with a regional approach that promotes sustainability, cooperation, and innovation”

The Director of Fisheries from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Djibouti, Mr. Ahmed Darar stresses the need to reconcile Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) approaches for coastal states and for landlocked countries with inland waters. He highlighted financing as the critical enabler to tackle IUU fishing, climate change, and marine pollution. He called for active contributions from all stakeholders so the workshop can align approaches and identify practical, fundable solutions.

H.E. Dr. Fikru Regassa, State Minister of Agriculture of Ethiopia expressed its unwavering commitment to the IGAD Blue Economy Agenda and the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2021–2025.

“We have created a 10-year master plan for fishery and aquaculture growth, with aquaculture as one of its cornerstones…The initiative for establishing the IGAD Fisheries Coordination Center offers a thoughtful approach to addressing these challenges…such as overfishing, fragmented governance, climate impacts, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU)Fishing…We acknowledge the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling common challenges, fostering resilience, and creating opportunities — not only for the present but also for future generations.”

Mr. Marc Maminiaina, Officer in Charge of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), framed the workshop as a crucial step toward sustainable fisheries management and regional integration across the Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (EA-SA-IO) region and the Greater Horn of Africa. He stated:

“This workshop will serve as an inclusive platform for experience-sharing and partnership building, ensuring that lessons from other regional mechanisms are adapted to the IGAD context, and that both inland and marine fisheries are addressed in a common but differentiated approach tailored to regional realities”.

The IFFA is envisaged as a specialised agency dedicated to strengthening the sustainable management and development of fisheries across the Greater Horn of Africa. Its establishment marks a major step forward for IGAD’s Blue Economy and Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Strategy (2021–2025).

The Addis Ababa workshop achieved consensus on the institutional framework, governance structure, and operational modalities for the IFFA. The new agency will coordinate efforts across seven IGAD Member States with fisheries potential—Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda—and will include four key Divisions: Knowledge and Information Management, Scientific and Socio-Economic Research, Management Operations (including the MCS Centre), and Development Operations. A formal roadmap was validated to guide implementation and ensure sustainable financing.

One of the most notable components is the regional MCS Coordination Centre, which will enhance information exchange and enforcement cooperation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The MSC-CC will focus on five core functions: (i) information and intelligence sharing through secure, real-time fisheries data exchange; (ii) joint surveillance operations and resource pooling to extend enforcement coverage and improve efficiency; (iii) legal, regulatory, and compliance strengthening to harmonise legislation and enforcement measures; (iv) capacity building through training, technology transfer, and institutional support; and (v) regional collaboration leveraging partnerships with maritime security structures and other regional MCS centres, including IOC‑PRSP and SADC MCS CC, to ensure complementarity and interoperability.

Tools to be deployed include Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), Observer Programmes, and Port State Measures (PSMA).

The IGAD region includes five coastal states with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1.1 million km² and 222,358 km² of inland waters. Despite this, per capita fish consumption in the region remains only 2 kg per year—far below the global average of 21 kg. Moreover, post-harvest losses are estimated to be as high as 40%, highlighting the need for urgent investment in infrastructure and modern management systems.

Out of a potential 3.17 million tonnes of fish annually, the region currently harvests only about 985,000 tonnes—less than one-third of its capacity. Countries like Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia are particularly underutilised, harvesting just 2,000, 18,000, and 65,700 tonnes respectively. Djibouti could produce over 23 times its current output, Somalia 8 times more, and Ethiopia over 5 times more.

Key outcomes of the workshop included: Recommendation by the stakeholders to establish a regional MCS. IGAD Secretariat was tasked to develop the MSC  governance framework and legal structure; agreement to host National Coordination Units (NCUs) across member states; validation of a 3-phase sustainable financing strategy including initial IGAD contributions, donor grants, and the creation of a Regional Fisheries Trust Fund; commitment to combat IUU fishing through coordinated MCS operations; and preparations for the formal signing of the IFFA Agreement by Fisheries Ministers.

The workshop concluded with the adoption of a formal communiqué and a commitment to present the final IFFA framework for endorsement at the upcoming IGAD Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting. The IFFA Secretariat is expected to become operational in early 2026, pending the signing of the intergovernmental agreement.

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