Participants from four African countries are benefiting from a capacity development programme aimed at strengthening small-scale aquaculture in the southeastern Mediterranean.

NIGERIA: An investigation into the cause of the fire on the FPSO situated offshore Wari in Nigeria that resulted in the evacuation of all 19 crewmembers last week.

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.