MAURITANIA: Mauritania has signed an agreement that will significantly expand the onshore and offshore data available to enhance exploration opportunities.

Benin and Sierra Leone deposited their instruments of acceptance of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on Friday last week bringing the total number of African countries to have signed to 15.

GHANA: An interdepartmental meeting held last week in Nigeria aimed to address constraints and challenges experienced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Maritime Coordination Centres (MCC).

SOUTH AFRICA: The African Development Bank Group has approved a ZAR 18.85 billion ($1 billion) corporate loan to Transnet for its recovery and growth plans.

SOUTH AFRICA: The new Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has called the ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal to uphold the ban on the use of drones, bait carrying remote-controlled boats and other remotely operated devices in fishing operations a “significant victory”.

Regional maritime security issues were discussed at the end of June when leaders from Madagascar, Mauritius and Tanzania met with the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 to establish shared goals.

COTE D’IVOIRE: An initiative to create an African Ports Connectivity Portal, funded by the Beijing-based Multilateral Co-operation Centre for Development Finance (MCDF) aims to improve data collection and connectivity among the continent’s ports.