Mauritius – 9 September 2025 – After six years of action, the ECOFISH Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the IOC in collaboration with COMESA, EAC, IGAD, and SADC, has come to an end. But its story does not stop there: its main legacy is now a reality — the Eastern and Southern Africa Sustainable Fisheries and Blue Economy Coordination Platform (ESA-SFBE-CP). 

ECOFISH’s Legacy in Concrete Tools 

The ESA-SFBE-CP platform is not just another project: it is designed as a permanent, inclusive, regional mechanism for fisheries and aquaculture governance. Hosted within the Regional Economic Communities, it will provide ready-to-use instruments: 

  • BEFSA (Blue Economy Fisheries Satellite Account): to measure fisheries’ contribution to GDP, trade, and employment, 
  • ESA-FIMS: the regional fisheries information system, 
  • a trust fund for sustainable small-scale fisheries, 
  • a project coordination mechanism to avoid duplication, 
  • networks for research, training, and civil society, 
  • a Climate-Fisheries Observatory to bridge science and policy. 

These tools, tested and validated under ECOFISH, will be consolidated within the platform and made available to all countries in the region. 

At the consultation workshop, Marc Maminiaina, Officer in Charge of the ECOFISH Programme, recalled the importance of building an inclusive and resilient mechanism to strengthen regional governance. Discussions focused on validating institutional structures (Ministerial Forum, Executive Committee, Secretariat, and Technical Committees), integrating the tools developed under ECOFISH – such as BEFSA, the project tracking platform, and the Climate-Fisheries Observatory – and adopting a clear technical roadmap to operationalise the platform. 

“The results of this meeting should not be seen as mere technical conclusions; they must be perceived as the foundations upon which the sustainability of our regional fisheries and blue economy governance will rest.” 

Dr Sunil Sweenarain, economist, Technical Coordinator of the Programme, and designer of the platform, highlighted the exceptional value of this tool in view of its modest cost, describing it as a “no-regret” investment for the region:
“With an annual cost of only €0.5 million, the ESA-SFBE-CP can generate up to €5 billion in economic benefits each year — a return on investment of more than 8,000 to 1. Even capturing just 1% of this potential would yield ten times its cost, making this mechanism a truly no-regret investment for our region.” 

Replicable, Scalable, Regional 

The platform is designed to be replicable and scalable. It builds on what already works — co-management, regional surveillance, innovative financing, and training. Anchored in the RECs, it represents a collective asset for the fisheries community, guaranteeing continuity of achievements and paving the way for extension to the continent under Agenda 2063. 

A Turning Point for Sustainable Fisheries Development 

With ECOFISH, sustainable development has returned to the heart of fisheries resource management: 

  • combating IUU fishing, 
  • reducing post-harvest losses, 
  • promoting the inclusion of women and youth, 
  • integrating climate considerations into governance, and 
  • strengthening regional institutions. 

The ESA-SFBE-CP platform embodies this transformation: a stable, shared, and recognised framework serving millions of fishers and their communities. 

Key Figures on the Regional Context 

  • 5 million tonnes: current annual fisheries production in Eastern and Southern Africa, representing €6.9 to €11.5 billion at landing value. 
  • 1.15 million direct jobs and 5–7 million indirect jobs. 
  • 30–40% post-harvest losses in inland fisheries. 
  • €184–276 million lost annually due to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 
  • Western Indian Ocean tuna: €1.84 billion at landing, but €6.4 to €8.3 billion on global markets — of which coastal countries capture only a fraction. 
  • With sustainable growth of +50%, production could reach 7.5 million tonnes/year, generating between €8.3 and €17.5 billion on the global market. 

Mobilisable Economic Benefits 

  • Marine fisheries: potential of over €400 million/year through better governance and enhanced licensing. 
  • Inland fisheries: potential to double production through sustainable management. 
  • Aquaculture: potential of over €3 billion/year by 2030 (compared to less than €1 billion today). 
  • IUU fishing: recovery of €50–70 million/year (≈ 10–15% of current losses). 
  • Post-harvest losses: halving them would save more than €500 million/year.