Nigeria, June 10 -- West Africa's oceans, especially off the coasts of Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Cote d'Ivoire, are among the most productive in the world. They provide more than 100 million people with food, jobs, and a deep sense of cultural identity. In Ghana, for example, fish account for around 60% of the population's protein intake.

But this vital resource is under growing threat.

West Africa has become a global hot spot for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Weak oversight and poor enforcement have turned parts of our waters into what some have dubbed a "poachers' paradise," where foreign industrial fleets exploit our marine resources with little accountability.

The consequences are staggering. Illegal fi...