West Africa

=== Overfishing ===
[[Overfishing]] is a major issue in West Africa. Besides reducing fish stocks in the region, it also threatens [[food security]] and the livelihoods of many coastal communities who largely depend on [[artisanal fishing]]. The overfishing generally comes from [[Trawling|foreign trawlers]] operating in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/may-july-2017/overfishing-destroying-livelihoods|title=Overfishing destroying livelihoods &#124; Africa Renewal|website=www.un.org|date=12 May 2017}}</ref>

To combat the overfishing, [[Greenpeace]] has recommended countries reduce the number of registered trawlers operating in African waters, increase the monitoring and control and set up regional fisheries organizations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-05-04 |title=Greenpeace welcomes cancellation of fishing licences of 29 foreign trawlers |url=https://en.africanmanager.com/greenpeace-welcomes-cancellation-of-fishing-licences-of-29-foreign-trawlers-2/ |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=African Manager |language=en-US}}</ref> Some steps have already been taken in the form of [[WARFP]] (the World Bank's West Africa Regional Fisheries Program which empowers west-African countries (i.e. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, and Senegal) with information, training and monitoring systems. Furthermore, Liberia enacted a fisheries regulations Act in 2010<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-01-05 |title=Liberia Gets New Fisheries Regulations. |url=https://fcwc-fish.org/other-news/liberia-gets-new-fisheries-regulations |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea |language=en-US}}</ref> and installed a satellite-based monitoring system and Senegal enacted a fisheries code in 2015. In Cape Verde, the fishermen communities of Palmiera and Santa Maria have organized themselves to protect fishing zones. Mozambique finally created a [[Conservation biology|conservation]] area, including a coastline.
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nepadwatercoe.org/cape-verde-greenpeace-raises-awareness-on-the-state-of-fisheries-in-west-africa/|title=Cape Verde: Greenpeace Raises Awareness on the State Of Fisheries in West Africa|access-date=28 July 2019|archive-date=28 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728124507/https://nepadwatercoe.org/cape-verde-greenpeace-raises-awareness-on-the-state-of-fisheries-in-west-africa/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/201701/overfishing-threatens-food-security-africa%E2%80%99s-western-and-central-coast-many-fish-species-region-face-extinction-%E2%80%93-iucn-report|title=Overfishing threatens food security off Africa's western and central coast as many fish species in the region face extinction – IUCN report|date=January 19, 2017|website=IUCN}}</ref>