Addressing an African ministerial conference, the head of the United Nations agricultural agency today stressed the need to mitigate the impacts of climate change and illegal fishing on oceans and coastal communities as fisheries and aquaculture emerge as driving forces behind the transformation of the continent’s economies.

Small, fast growing wild fish could be crucial allies in the race to end hunger in some of the world's most chronically poor and underfed regions, according to a new report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on fisheries in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa.

The world’s first-ever international agreement specifically targeting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing is set to enter into force next month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today, highlighting the accord’s importance in efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries and responsible fish stock management globally.