Stolen Fish, Sunken Dreams: Greenpeace Warns Illegal Fishing Is Driving Africa’s Youth Into Deadly Migration Routes

When Kenyan fisherman Athman Mwinyi Kigamba looks across the waters of Bamburi Beach, he sees fewer fish, shrinking catches, and industrial trawlers moving ever closer to the coastline.

For Greenpeace Africa’s Oceans Campaign Lead Dr Aliou Ba, the same crisis stretches far beyond Kenya’s shores. He sees a direct link between declining fish stocks in African waters and the thousands of young Africans risking their lives on dangerous migration journeys across the Mediterranean Sea.

Speaking during activities surrounding the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Dr Ba warned that illegal fishing is not only devastating marine ecosystems but is also fuelling economic hardship that pushes many young people towards risky migration routes.

“We are losing eleven billion dollars because of IUU fishing, that is illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. And that is just West Africa,” he said.

According to Greenpeace Africa, the impact extends beyond economic losses. Coastal communities that have depended on fishing for generations are increasingly struggling to survive as industrial fleets deplete fish stocks and damage marine habitats.

Illegal Fishing Africa Crisis Threatens Coastal Livelihoods

Dr Ba argued that illegal fishing should no longer be viewed solely as an environmental problem.

Instead, he described it as a growing social and human rights crisis affecting millions of Africans who rely on the ocean for food and income.

“These industries that are plundering the fish are also killing young people indirectly,” he said.

“They used to use those boats to fish. Now they are using them to do illegal migration. They are dying at sea because of that.”

The comments highlight a growing concern among conservation groups that declining fisheries are removing one of the few reliable income sources available to many coastal communities.

As fishing incomes disappear, many young people face limited employment opportunities, increasing the appeal of migration despite the risks involved.

At Bamburi Beach, local fishermen say the effects are already visible.

Kigamba, who fishes within the local Beach Management Unit, said industrial trawlers frequently damage marine breeding grounds and capture juvenile fish before they can mature.

“These organizations should help us eliminate bad fishing practices,” he said.

“Otherwise, in the coming years, there might be no fish left here at all.”

Greenpeace Uses Beach Art to Deliver Ocean Protection Message

The concerns were amplified through a large-scale sand art installation organised by Greenpeace Africa at Pirates Beach in Mombasa ahead of the Ocean Conference.

Created by volunteers and local community members, the artwork carried messages including “One Ocean, One Struggle” and “The Ocean Connects Us All.”

The installation was designed to send a message to African leaders gathering for the conference that protecting oceans means protecting the people who depend on them.

Greenpeace Africa volunteer Norwich Mandu said coastal communities are already experiencing the consequences of declining fish stocks.

“This artwork represents what coastal communities are feeling every day,” he said.

“Fish are becoming scarce, livelihoods are under pressure, and yet the solutions are within reach.”

Push for High Seas Treaty and Stronger Ocean Protection

Throughout the conference, Greenpeace Africa is calling on African governments to accelerate ratification and implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty.

The treaty would allow countries to establish Marine Protected Areas in international waters and strengthen protection of biodiversity beyond national borders.

Greenpeace is also urging African governments to support the creation of a High Seas Marine Protected Area in the Canary-Guinea Convergence Zone, one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems.

Dr Ba said the agreement presents a rare opportunity for governments to safeguard fisheries and protect future generations.

“The BBNJ Agreement gives African governments a historic opportunity to protect the high seas and safeguard the future of our fisheries,” he said.

“At the same time, we must confront the ongoing crisis of IUU fishing, which is stripping African waters of life and robbing communities of food and income.”

Plastic Pollution Adds to Ocean Threats

Beyond illegal fishing, environmental groups warned that plastic pollution continues to place growing pressure on Africa’s oceans.

Greenpeace Africa Plastics Campaign Lead Hellen Dena said marine ecosystems are increasingly being damaged by waste entering coastal and offshore environments.

“You cannot talk about protecting the ocean without addressing plastic pollution,” she said.

“From beaches to deep-sea ecosystems, plastic waste is everywhere.”

She urged African governments to pursue stronger regional and international measures aimed at reducing plastic pollution while strengthening marine biodiversity protections.

Youth Demand Action From Political Leaders

For many of the young activists gathered on Bamburi Beach, the science and policy solutions already exist.

What remains uncertain, they argue, is whether governments will act quickly enough.

Greenpeace volunteer Subira Kitambara said coastal communities have repeatedly highlighted the solutions needed to protect marine resources.

“We have the solution,” she said while addressing participants near the conference venue.

“Science has agreed the answers are clear. What we are crying out for is for politicians to have the political will.”

As delegates continue discussions in Mombasa, conservation groups say the stakes extend far beyond environmental protection.

For communities that depend on fishing, the future of Africa’s oceans will help determine whether the next generation finds opportunity at home or risks everything in search of it elsewhere.