Europe-suppod projects that is reducing illegal fishing in the Western Indian Ocean
Dimitri Maiden, the chair of the fishermen's association says the new facilities have improved hygiene standards. "We didn't have any fish market," he says. "So nothing was covered. There were no water facilities. Before this, we were selling fish on wooden pallets over the gutter. "Most of the fish is going to small hotels. So we don't want to go down the line where hygiene is a problem and people are getting sick." But it's not all good news: over the years, catches have been declining. The association urges fishermen to think ahead and work within sustainable limits. But a much bigger problem is illegal fleets that come from afar - without authorization - to plunder these waters. Illegal fishing throws marine ecosystems off balance, putting the health of the Western Indian Ocean at risk. But it also endangers regional economies, wiping out jobs and undermining food security in coastal states. 20% of the world's tuna catches come from this region and the resource attracts poachers.