Honourable Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries

Secretary General, Indian Ocean Commission;

Chargé de mission, Indian Ocean Commission, 

Representatives of the Regional Organisations – AU-IBAR, IGAD, SADC, COMESA and EAC;

Director, Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation;

Director, Lake Tanganyika Authority;

Director Consultancy Services INCATEMA Spain and the technical team;

Colleagues of the E€OFISH team;

Dear Participants;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good morning,

It is a great honour to stand before you today at this important moment—the conclusion of the E€OFISH Programme. 

This marks not just the end of a programme, but the beginning of a lasting legacy for sustainable fisheries and regional cooperation in the Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (EA-SA-IO) region.

E€OFISH was not just a technical programme. It was a shared commitment - between the European Union and our partners across Africa and the Indian Ocean—to protect one of our most valuable and vulnerable resources: our oceans and lakes.

Over the past six years, E€OFISH has worked to strengthen fisheries governance, promote sustainable fishing practices, and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It has supported regional organisations such as SADC, COMESA, EAC, and the Indian Ocean Commission, enabling them to play a more active and coordinated role in the sustainable management of shared marine resources. 

The programme addressed also the issue of fisheries governance and the fight against IUU fishing on the two important lakes – Victoria and Tanganyika on the continental Africa. 

The achievements are tangible across the different workplans – whether they concern marine fisheries, the inland fisheries or the demonstration projects to engage with fishing communities. 

We have seen capacity building at local and national levels, the establishment of stronger data systems, enhanced monitoring and surveillance, and increased participation of small-scale fishers - especially women and young people - in governance processes. We have built bridges between governments, communities and sectors that will endure well beyond this programme.

These are only a few impactful achievements, but I am sure during the exhibition you will have the chance to learn more from each project.

I must admit that none of this would have been possible without your dedication, particularly during the initial implementation when the COVID pandemic posed a significant challenge. 

To our regional and national partners: thank you for your leadership and ownership.

To the communities and fishers: thank you for your resilience and your trust.

To the implementing teams: thank you for your professionalism and commitment.  A special thank goes to the Technical Assistance Team under the leadership of Dr Sunil Sweenarain who was always available to guide and assist our Implementing Partners in overcoming the challenges to ensure proper execution of their actions. 

We would like to highlight the progress made on Lake Tanganyika component, which was lagging far behind. Thanks to his commitment and leadership, he managed to get the different partners back on track and considerable progress was made to the satisfaction of Lake Tanganyika Authority. During the Programme Steering Committee on Monday, LTA indicated that execution rate had reached nearly 90% by the end date of the project.

Looking to the future, the European Union remains committed to our shared goals. The Green Deal, the Global Gateway, and the new NDICI-Global Europe instrument all reflect our continued support for sustainable development, climate resilience, and ocean governance.

The EU’s 2025 Commitments – Our Ocean Conference

The E€OFISH programme was cited as one of EU’s 23 commitment at Our Ocean Conference in 2018. 

The EU alone has pledged over €1 billion to ocean-related initiatives since the first Our Ocean conference. And we have delivered—on marine protection, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution reduction, climate-resilient coastlines, and blue economy innovation.

This year, the European Union is making new commitments worth over €500 million across five key areas:

1. Marine Protected Areas by supporting the creation and effective management of MPAs, 

2. Combatting IUU Fishing by expanding our global partnership to fight IUU fishing, through traceability systems, capacity building, and enforcement cooperation.

3. Ocean and Climate Nexus by scaling up nature-based solutions for climate adaptation—such as mangrove restoration, blue carbon initiatives, and coastal resilience projects in vulnerable regions.

4. Sustainable Blue Economy by investing in sustainable aquaculture, maritime innovation, and ocean-based renewable energy under the EU Blue Economy strategy and Global Gateway.

5. Ocean Research and Knowledge Sharing by strengthening marine data platforms and supporting ocean science, including through Horizon Europe and our contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

Partnerships at the Heart

These commitments are not just financial—they are political and moral. 

We believe in multilateralism, in regional partnerships, and in community-led solutions. From the Western Indian Ocean to the Arctic, from the Pacific Islands to the Atlantic coast of Europe, the EU is working alongside countries and communities to build a fair, inclusive, and sustainable ocean future.

For the Western Indian Ocean region, the EU is committing 58 million euros on a new programme – Sustainable Western Indian Ocean (SWIO) programme to address ocean governance, combatting IUU fishing, sustainable blue economy and ocean ecosystem resilience etc.

Conclusion

E€OFISH may be coming to an end, but the partnerships and progress it has fostered are here to stay. Let us build on this momentum forward, as we continue working together for healthier oceans, stronger economies, and resilient coastal communities.

Thank you - and let us keep building a sustainable blue future, together.