Fourteenth meeting of the SADC MCSCC Regional Technical Team

August 18 2023

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat held the 14th meeting of the Regional Technical Team (RTT) for the SADC Fisheries Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination Centre (MCSCC) in Windhoek, Namibia, on 14 – 18 August 2023.

With the SADC Charter for Establishing the MCSCC, now in force, this meeting was critical for planning the next steps to implement the key functions of the Centre and to align the support of partners and gain interest from new supporting partners. The Executive Director of Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ms Annely Haiphene, was represented by Mr Beau Tjizoo, Deputy Director of Fisheries Monitoring Control and Surveillance (MCS) in Namibia, who opened and welcomed the RTT.

The SADC Ministers responsible for Fisheries and Aquaculture appointed the RTT to oversee the establishment and operation of the SADC Regional Fisheries MCSCC. At the 14th meeting of the RTT, progress in the implementation of the Roadmap of the Interim Project Management Unit (IPMU) on the operationalisation of the MCSCC was reviewed. The meeting discussed the process of appointing candidates to the Board of Directors of the MCSCC, reviewed the implementation of projects supporting MCSCC, finalised procurement of MCS equipment with Member States (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe for Lakes Malawi/Niassa/Nyasa and Kariba), and engaged in a write-shop to develop a draft Concept Note for a project to support MCSCC.

The meeting was supported by a range of Projects and Partners including Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF), WWF, FishFORCE Academy, TMT and Benguela Current Commission (BCC).