Prelims: Current events of national and international importance
Why in News?
Recently, 15 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific have adopted the Mombasa Declaration.
- Mombasa declaration – It urges governments to increase transparency by improving public access to information on fishing vessels, their ownership, and licensing.
- It also emphasizes enhanced data sharing among countries to better monitor fishing activities and enforce regulations effectively.
- Named after the Kenyan city of Mombasa, which hosted the 11th Our Ocean Conference,
- Signatories – Belgium, Cameroon, Chile, the Dominican Republic, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and South Korea.
- Objective – To tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, a major threat to marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities that depend on fisheries.
- Other support – The declaration also reinforces support for the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency,
Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, outlines ten policy principles aimed at improving fisheries governance through practical and cost-effective measures such as modernizing vessel registries and making fishing authorizations publicly available.
Quick facts
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Our Ocean Conference
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- Launched in – 2014.
- Launched by – The United States Department of State under the leadership of former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
- 2026 conference – Held in Mombasa, marking the first time the summit took place on African soil.
- Theme of 2026 conference – “Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future.”
- Function – It serves as a leading global platform that brings together governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to advance ocean conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
- 6 Priorities – The conference focuses on six priority areas:
- Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
- Sustainable Blue Economy
- Climate Change
- Maritime Security
- Sustainable Fisheries
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- Achievements – Inspired more than 2,600 commitments worth over $160 billion, making it one of the most influential international forums for ocean sustainability.
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Reference
Oceana| Mombasa Declaration
