Proceeds from Fishing Licences Remain Unaccounted for in Puntland

[Deeq A.]

Garowe (PP News Desk) —  Since 1998 Puntland State of Somalia has issued fishing licences to foreign companies. Successive administrations have kept secret the details of the agreements with foreign fishery companies and how  authorities manage proceeds from fishing licences. Unsupervised fishing agreements have resulted in illegal fishing and depletion of fish in Somali seas. Authorities that issue fishing licences have no mechanisms to find out if grantees abused the terms of the agreement. 

In 2020 Puntland fishermen in Gardafuy district complained of widespread illegal fishing near the coast of the district. At night locals see trawlers getting closer to the beach. Some trawlers are armed to prevent piracy attacks, but they threaten local fishermen who object to their illegal fishing in the Somali seas. 

Illegal fishing in Puntland States is partly fuelled by lack of transparency about fishing licences issued by Puntland State.

Chinese-owned trawlers have been accused of illegal fishing, along with several EU countries’ fishing trawlers. The EU fishing trawlers used the cover of the EU anti-piracy forces. “Chinese trawlers are hard to investigate because the Federal Government of Somalia. The policy of Puntland State to keep the nature of agreements and the number of foreign fishing trawlers secret compounds the problem. Another downside of the fishing agreements is the reluctance of the Puntland State Government to subsidise fishing communities and local services affected by both the licensed and illegal fishing.

The Puntland State Government has data on the number of foreign  fishing fleets  fishing in Puntland State seas, but  to which organisation or person fishing companies send licence fees is not known. “It is a deal between Puntland political leaders not to discuss fishing licences and politicians who benefit from these illegal agreements. “Puntland State Parliamentarians think they do not have powers to conduct parliamentary sessions on fishing licences issued by Puntland State Government ” said a retired servant in Garowe.

President Deni can redeem his presidency if he publishes data on fishing licences Puntland State has issued since 1998 and how fees paid by grantees get spent.

The draft constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia gives Puntland and the Federal Government of Somalia an ample space to interpret its articles, with the Mogadishu government following in the footsteps of Garowe-based administration to withhold from the Auditor General the data on fishing licences granted to Chinese companies. 

Clarity on proceeds from fidgeting licences granted by Puntland State will boost accountability, help fund the underfunded public sector and go a long way to reduce the unemployment rate in Puntland. Lack of transparency about fishing licences will accentuate the mistrust of citizens in public institutions, many people told Puntland Post. They said that President Said Abdullahi Deni could redeem his presidency by publishing data on fishing licences and fees paid by foreign companies since Puntland is the first Federal Member State to monetises marine resources in its seas without being transparent about the licensing process or how fees collected by Puntland State Government from foreign trawlers gets spent.  

© Puntland Post, 2022

The post Proceeds from Fishing Licences Remain Unaccounted for in Puntland appeared first on Puntland Post.