STRENGTHENING FISHERIES GOVERNANCE AND COMBATING ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, AND UNREGULATED (IUU) FISHING IN SOMALIA

An Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing poses a significant threat to Somalia’s marine resources, coastal livelihoods, food security, and sustainable fisheries development. Despite its extensive coastline and valuable marine resources, fragmented governance, weak monitoring, control and surveillance, inadequate fisheries data, and limited enforcement capacity undermine effective fisheries management. 
This study aimed to examine fisheries governance challenges associated with IUU fishing in Somalia and identify practical strategies to strengthen accountability, compliance, and sustainability. A document-based review was conducted using reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Bank, peer-reviewed publications, national fisheries policies, and international legal instruments. The selected documents were analyzed thematically, focusing on institutional coordination, legal frameworks, monitoring and enforcement, fisheries data, socioeconomic and environmental impacts, and regional cooperation. 
The findings identified overlapping federal and state responsibilities, non-transparent licensing procedures, limited vessel surveillance, insufficient catch reporting, and weak scientific assessments as major governance challenges. These weaknesses obstruct the detection of unauthorized fishing, protection of small-scale fishers, collection of government revenue, and sustainable exploitation of marine resources. The review highlighted the importance of transparent vessel registration, coordinated enforcement, community participation, reliable fisheries databases, and regional information sharing. Strengthening fisheries governance requires an integrated national framework that clarifies institutional responsibilities, improves surveillance, enhances fisheries statistics, and promotes cooperation among government institutions and coastal communities. 
Implementing these measures could improve compliance, protect marine ecosystems, strengthen coastal livelihoods, and support sustainable fisheries development. Further empirical research is needed to quantify IUU fishing activities and evaluate intervention effectiveness.