Trans-Border Co-Operation and the Enforcement of Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea

ABSTRACT

Trans-border co-operation in the mitigation of maritime insecurity has remained a veritable and time-honoured measure for the control of illicit maritime activities the world over. Essentially, this is because of the trans-boundary character of such criminal activities. The resource-laden Gulf of Guinea region has remained largely under-utilized because of the high incidence of piracy, sea banditry and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing within the maritime domain. This study pursued twofold objectives. First, it investigated the interface between the repressive measures adopted in the Yaoundé Code of Conduct of June 25, 2013 and the rising spate of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea. Second, it examined the role of weak institutional and infrastructural capabilities of the Signatories to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct of June 2013 in the control of IUU fishing in the Gulf of Guinea. The study employed the qualitative method of data collection and the qualitative descriptive method of data analysis. The single case ex-post-facto research design was used to demonstrate structural causality in the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Utilizing the Marxist Political Economy paradigm, the study found that the repressive measures adopted in the Yaoundé Code of Conduct of June 25, 2013 were implicated in the rising spate of piracy and armed robbery at sea within the region. Second, the study concluded that the weak institutional and infrastructural capabilities of the Signatories to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct of 2013 undermined the effective control of IUU fishing in the convention area. Consequently, it recommended that the key stakeholders, especially the Signatories to the Code of Conduct of 2013, ECOWAS, ECCAS, GGC, among others should fashion and implement an all-inclusive security policy that would address the structural and economic disarticulation in these littoral states which accounted for the origin and sustainment of the illicit maritime activities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i

Approval Page- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iii

Acknowledgements- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iv

Table of Contents- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vi

List of Tables- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - viii

List of Figures- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ix

Abbreviations and Acronyms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Abstract- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

1.1 Background to the Study- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8

1.3 Objectives of the Study- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11

1.4 Significance of the Study- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - 13

2.1 The Yaoundé Code of Conduct and Rising Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea- - - - - - - - 15

2.2 Capabilities of the Signatories to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct and Control of Illegal Fishing in the Gulf of Guinea- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30

3.1 Theoretical Framework- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30

3.2 Hypotheses- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34

3.3 Research Design- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34

3.4 Methods of Data Collection- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - 37

3.5 Method of Data Analysis- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38

3.6 Logical Data Framework- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 39

CHAPTER FOUR: THE YAOUNDÉ CODE OF CONDUCT AND INSECURITY IN THE GULF OF GUINEA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41

4.1 Piracy/Armed Robbery at Sea and Maritime Security- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41

4.2 Personnel Strength and Surveillance Infrastructure of the Signatories to the Code of Conduct and Rising Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 44

4.3 The Repressive Focus of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct and Rising Spate of Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea in the Gulf of Guinea- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - 48

CHAPTER FIVE: CAPABILITIES OF THE SIGNATORIES TO THE YAOUNDÉ CODE OF CONDUCT AND THE CONTROL OF ILLEGAL FISHING IN THE GULF OF GUINEA- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 60

5.1 Significance of Fisheries and the Rising Incidence of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in the Gulf of Guinea Region- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 60

5.2 The Impacts of IUU Fishing on the Signatories to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct - - 66

5.3 Institutional and Infrastructural Capacity of the Signatories to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct and the Control of IUU Fishing in the Gulf of Guinea- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 73

CHAPTER SIX: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS- - - 84

6.1 Summary- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - 84

6.2 Conclusion- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - 85

6.3 Recommendations- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - 87

Bibliography- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 89

Appendixes- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 94