Fisheries inspectors on board the A. Mungunda inspected 14 Namibian and 13 South African fishing vessels over a 15-day period. All of the vessels inspected in South African waters were compliant with fisheries regulations, but four Namibian-registered ships were fined, each of them for small infringements like not carrying mandatory documentation.

Most inspected boats were bottom trawlers, but 5 longliners were also inspected.

A combined team of South African, Namibian and Angolan fish inspectors worked together throughout the 15-day operation.

The co-ordinated fisheries patrols are funded and supported by the SADC Monitoring Control and Surveillance (MCS) programme with its offices in Namibia. The programme is supported by the EU is helping South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Mozam-bique and Tanzania, to improve the management of marine resources by providing training and technical assistance to the government agencies that monitor and control fishing activity. This is the first time that the patrols have featured inspectors from three countries working together on a single patrol ship.

Last year Namibian and Angolan inspectors on the A. Mungunda arrested 6 fishing vessels off Angola. According to MCS programme manager Carlos Palin inspectors from the 5 SADC countries learn to work together and thereby lay the groundwork for future co-operation in monitoring, control and surveillance activities due to the joint fisheries patrols.