Joint action urged to protect fishing areas

China, West Africa should work together to make fisheries sustainable, report says

West African countries and China need to work together to tackle the problem of overfishing in West Africa and push the region toward sustainable fisheries, a report says.

"West African countries and the People's Republic of China share a deep mutual interest in supporting the development of sustainable fisheries management throughout West Africa to ensure long-term economic, food and environmental security in both regions of the world," said the report titled Charting a Blue Future for Cooperation between West Africa and China on Sustainable Fisheries, published by the Stimson Center think tank in Washington.

Sally Yozell, director of the Environmental Security program at the center, said the report is the fruit of three years' research, including interviews and conversations with many experts in China and across West Africa.