--- title: Coastal waters turning into ‘world’s biggest transnational crime scene’ description: Africa's coastal nations are grappling with a surge in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling, transforming African waters into a hub for transnational crime, according to a report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).  image: https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hubfs/West%20Africa%20via%20Canva.png --- ###### 1 min read # Coastal waters turning into ‘world’s biggest transnational crime scene’ By: [ Dryad Global ](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/author/dryad-global) on November 21, 2023 at 9:00 AM [Maritime Security](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/tag/maritime-security) [Maritime Piracy](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/tag/maritime-piracy) [gulf of guinea](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/tag/gulf-of-guinea) [West Africa](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/tag/west-africa) - [**](https://twitter.com/GlobalDryad) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dryad-global/) - [**](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZSIjPkeq7iDcsj4r9TF9mg?sub_confirmation=1) ![Featured Image](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hubfs/West%20Africa%20via%20Canva.png) Africa's coastal nations are grappling with a surge in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, and drug smuggling, transforming African waters into a hub for transnational crime, according to a report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).  West Africa, particularly, is a hotspot for IUU fishing, costing the region $10 billion annually, with China identified as a significant offender due to inadequate fisheries enforcement capacity and official corruption. The Stimson Center suggests that tackling IUU fishing in West Africa requires China's involvement and a reduction in its demand for fishmeal and fish oil. In South Africa, abalone poaching is linked to the drug trade, with Chinese criminal networks smuggling abalone to Hong Kong. The ISS report highlights that piracy, once limited to Somalia, has shifted to West Africa, surpassing the Indian Ocean as the most perilous region for seafarers. Pirate attacks in the region surged in 2019, prompting concerns about livelihoods in the Niger Delta, where fishing and farming have suffered. Moreover, West Africa has become a transit hub for narcotics, with rising drug consumption on the continent. Corruption is intertwined with the drug trade, and the ISS identifies Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, and Central Africa as emerging cocaine hotspots. The drug trade exploits the challenging-to-police waters of East Africa, including island states like Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, and the Seychelles, where heroin use is alarmingly high. Mombasa, Kenya, has emerged as a significant transit point for cocaine from Latin America and heroin from Asia destined for Europe. The ISS report underscores the need for international cooperation and concerted efforts to address these maritime security challenges, emphasizing the importance of involving regional stakeholders, including China, in combating IUU fishing and other maritime threats in African waters.   [![Maritime Piracy: What you need to know](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4795492/8fa1fcc9-99f9-4f4d-beb6-9a8ed94c8cc7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4795492/8fa1fcc9-99f9-4f4d-beb6-9a8ed94c8cc7)   Source: [Defence Web](https://www.defenceweb.co.za/sea/sea-sea/coastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene/) ---   ###### Share article [![Share on Facebook](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Drayad_DMP21/Images/fb.png?width=24&name=fb.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Drayad_DMP21/Images/linkedin.png?width=24&name=linkedin.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Drayad_DMP21/Images/twitter.png?width=24&name=twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Coastal%20waters%20turning%20into%20%E2%80%98world%E2%80%99s%20biggest%20transnational%20crime%20scene%E2%80%99) [![Share on Pinterest](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Drayad_DMP21/Images/pinterest.png?width=24&name=pinterest.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=https%3A%2F%2Ff.hubspotusercontent40.net%2Fhubfs%2F4795492%2FDrayad_DMP21%2FImages%2Fpinterest.png) [![Share on Email](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Drayad_DMP21/Images/mail.png?width=24&name=mail.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fchannel16.dryadglobal.com%2Farchive%2Fcoastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) #### Related Posts ### [Is a Transatlantic Approach The Solution to West.. The recent news headline said it all: “Pirates kidnap 15 Turkish sailors in attack on container..](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/is-a-transatlantic-approach-the-solution-to-west-africas-maritime-insecurity) ### [Transnet declares force majeure at ports over.. South Africa's logistics utility Transnet declared force majeure at its ports on Thursday,..](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/transnet-declares-force-majeure-at-ports-over-strike) ### [Cabinda to Cape Town: how crime-proof are.. The Atlantic Ocean, historically pivotal for transoceanic trade, remains crucial today,..](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/cabinda-to-cape-town-how-crime-proof-are-africas-atlantic-shores) ##### Twitter Feeds Twitter Feeds [Follow @GlobalDryad](https://twitter.com/GlobalDryad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)   ##### Channel 16 Channel 16 ###### [Cross-Strait relations in the Lai era](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/cross-strait-relations-in-the-lai-era) On May 20, Lai Ching-te was inaugurated as Taiwan's new president, prompting significant military... ##### Know More Know More ##### Reach Us Reach Us Press/media contact [Email Us](mailto:press@dryadglobal.com) General Enquiries [Contact Us Here](https://share.hsforms.com/1nNmumgLKRy6b7zdktrR3FQ2us84) [![DG Logo Horizontal NEW White](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Branding/DG%20Logo%20Horizontal%20NEW%20White.png?width=280&height=100&name=DG%20Logo%20Horizontal%20NEW%20White.png "DG Logo Horizontal NEW White")](https://dryadglobal.com) © 2024 Dryad Global. All Rights Reserved [**](https://twitter.com/GlobalDryad)[**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/dryad-global/)[**](https://www.youtube.com/c/IMSAGlobalDryad) ** ![](https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=1152100&fmt=gif) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dryad Global", "url" : "https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/author/dryad-global" }, "dateModified" : "2023-11-21T09:00:00.904Z", "datePublished" : "2023-11-21T09:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Coastal waters turning into ‘world’s biggest transnational crime scene’", "image" : [ "https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hubfs/West%20Africa%20via%20Canva.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/coastal-waters-turning-into-worlds-biggest-transnational-crime-scene", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/hubfs/DG%20Logo%20Featured%20Image%20Green.png" }, "name" : "Dryad Global Ltd" } } ```