Maritime security is not limited to activities at sea — inland waterways are also part of the maritime domain, says the African Union (AU). Africa’s Great Lakes, several of which are among the largest water bodies in the world, are the lifeblood for surrounding communities numbering tens of millions of people.
This means that maritime security and blue economies require the attention not just of Africa’s coastal states but land-linked countries too. The continent’s lakes and rivers are increasingly threatened by illicit fishing, depredation of marine resources, illegal immigration and territorial disputes emanating from unclear borderlines.
Most larger lakes, particularly lakes Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi are transboundary bodies of water containing the borders of at least three countries. In some cases, these demarcations are disputed. Unless conflicts are amicably resolved, the waters risk becoming contested, causing insecurity among surrounding communities.
Border disputes are rife on Lake Victoria, which is largely divided between Tanzania and Uganda. Kenya has a small yet significant portion as the 2,000 m2 Migingo island sits on the lake’s contested Kenya-Uganda border, resulting in tension over ownership.
The fishing industry on Lake Victoria employs about 800,000 people, with 70,000 locally made vessels operating in its waters. The small-scale fisheries sector alone brings in about $300-million in annual fishing revenue among the three bordering countries. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by organised crime syndicates endangers the livelihoods of communities around the lake.
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https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-02-16-africas-inland-blue-economies-tread-rough-waters-amid-sparse-maritime-security/