Kenya, Seychelles, Gabon, Tanzania and South Africa advance country-led actions to strengthen fisheries transparency with tuna leading broader momentum toward full electronic monitoring
Nairobi — At the Our Ocean Conference hosted in Kenya, the governments of Kenya, Seychelles, Gabon, Tanzania and South Africa unveiled a set of country-led commitments to advance electronic monitoring—the use of onboard video cameras, GPS and sensors to monitor and verify fishing activities—to strengthen transparency across their fisheries. These announcements reflect growing African leadership in modernizing fisheries management and improving accountability at sea.
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Countries are advancing electronic monitoring at different stages—from piloting and system development to formal national commitments—but together they signal a clear regional shift toward transparent, data-driven fisheries management. While tuna (Thunnus) fisheries are leading the way, these efforts increasingly extend across multiple fisheries, supporting better science, stronger enforcement, and more resilient coastal economies.
These commitments highlight growing momentum among coastal nations, in collaboration with industry and civil society partners, to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and strengthen oversight of industrial fleets.
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National Commitments to Advance Transparency
The Government of Seychelles is joining a growing group of governments and industry partners in signing the Tuna Transparency Pledge, committing to achieve 100% on-the-water monitoring across all industrial tuna vessels in its waters by 2027.
The Government of Kenya has committed to achieving 100% monitoring of all industrial fishing vessels operating in its waters through electronic monitoring and onboard observers by 2030.
Gabon is advancing a comprehensive approach to fisheries transparency with plans to expand electronic monitoring across its fleets by October 2028. Through the Gabon Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation project (Obligations Bleues), supported by The Nature Conservancy’s Nature Bonds Program, the country is set to unlock $163,000,000 ($163 million) in long-term financing over 15 years for ocean conservation and a sustainable blue economy. As part of this initiative, scaling electronic monitoring will strengthen fisheries management, deter illegal fishing, and help protect marine ecosystems for future generations.
Tanzania and South Africa are progressing efforts to pilot and scale electronic monitoring systems.
While tuna is a key entry point, the benefits of transparency extend across all seafood. Electronic monitoring improves data, strengthens compliance, reduces illegal fishing, and protects marine ecosystems.
Together, these announcements send a strong signal from Africa: the future of fisheries management is transparent, accountable and technology-enabled.