National authorities responsible for fisheries and for the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), from across 22 African coastal countries, commit to strengthen cooperation for improved implementation of CITES through national fisheries legal frameworks.
In a regional workshop, jointly organized by the CITES Secretariat and the Development Law Service of the Legal Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from 29 September to 1 October, 2026, participants highlighted the fact that a well-established, comprehensive and agreed trading conventions are crucial for African nations, which produce over 7 million tonnes of aquatic animals annually through marine capture fisheries.
Opening the workshop, Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary General, reiterated the significance of adapting international conventions for the management and trading of fisheries and aquatic resources in Africa.
“Fisheries and aquatic resources are fundamental to food security, livelihoods and economies across Africa. CITES has brought the knowledge and tools it has developed over the years to support African nations to conduct lawful and productive management of the fisheries sector. Participants of the workshop are expected to extensively dwell on key legal and administrative issues that would help to advance our collective interest, which is a world where all international wildlife trade is sustainable and legal,” she remarked.
Farayi Zimudzi, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Representative to the African Union and UNECA, a.i. stressed the fact that fisheries management, wildlife trade regulation, and marine conservation are essential to help countries address current and emerging food security challenges.
“The diversity of expertise represented here is one of the workshop’s greatest strengths. Bringing together CITES Management Authorities and national fisheries authorities offers a valuable opportunity for dialogue, mutual learning, and the development of practical solutions that are nationally relevant and regionally coherent. Sharing experiences in fisheries management, wildlife trade regulation, and marine conservation will be essential to helping countries address current and emerging challenges, including food insecurity,” she noted.
Bringing fisheries and CITES authorities together
Designed to encourage dialogue across sectors, the workshop responded to the increasing need for effective coordination between CITES authorities and fisheries administrations as the number of commercially exploited aquatic species regulated under CITES continues to grow.
Currently, more than 2000 marine species, ranging from sharks and rays to sea cucumbers and corals, are listed in the CITES Appendices. The number has continued to rise in recent years, reflecting both the mounting pressures on marine biodiversity and the growing confidence of governments that are Parties to the Convention in CITES as an instrument for ensuring that international trade is sustainable, legal and well regulated.
Implementing CITES requirements for these species involves scientific assessments known as Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs), evaluations of legal requirements known as Legal Acquisition Findings (LAF), and provisions concerning Introduction from the Sea (IFS), for specimens taken in marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
The FAO-CITES partnership assists countries in understanding how these requirements interact with national fisheries legislation (see CITES-LEX), institutions and fisheries-management systems.
Countries share experiences and common challenges
A central focus of the workshop was the exchange of experiences among national authorities. Country representatives presented their legal and institutional arrangements, highlighted good practices and discussed continuing challenges.
The discussions covered the regulation of trade in CITES-listed marine species, coordination between fisheries and CITES authorities, traceability, monitoring of sharks and rays, and the relationship between national fisheries legislation and CITES requirements.
The workshop also introduced participants to the recently launched FAO Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS), with a practical exercise on how information generated through fisheries-governance systems, including licensing, catch documentation, monitoring, control and surveillance, and fisheries-management measures, can support CITES processes.
Furthermore, representatives of the Regional Fishery Bodies Secretariats’ Network, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission and the Subregional Fisheries Commission demonstrated how regional bodies can contribute through conservation and management measures, scientific data collection, information exchange and cooperation.
Participants concluded that continued cooperation among fisheries administrations and CITES Management and Scientific Authorities will be essential to effective implementation of both CITES and national regulations.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).