FAO chief hails Port State Measures Agreement, urges rapid action to provide technical and financial resources

Figure: Offloading tuna at Abidjan's main port.

FAO 11 July 2016, ROME-The Port State Measures Agreement "marks the dawn of a new era in the effort to combat illegal fishing" but rapid action is needed to make sure its implementation is effective, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today at an event held to celebrate the world's first international treaty specifically aimed at tackling Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

"FAO is working to deliver immediate support to those countries that are most in need of it," Graziano da Silva said.

Implementation of the agreement may prove challenging for some nations - especially developing and small island states - due to resource and capacity constraints, he added.

 The treaty went into force last month and more than 30 nations as well the European Union on behalf of its 28 members have acceded to the treaty. More countries have initiated the accession process.

The agreement  has an article that explicitly enjoins parties to the treaty and international organizations to provide assistance and funding. The Republic of Korea has already confirmed it will make a financial contribution, and other parties should follow suit, Graziano da Silva said.

FAO has set up an inter-regional Technical Cooperation Programme and a Global Capacity Development Umbrella Programme to support logistical, legislative and legal aspects of translating the agreement into practice.

The PSMA treaty, shepherded by FAO since 2009, requires foreign vessels to submit to inspections at any port of call and for port states to share information on violations. An improvement on prior rules requiring countries to control the activities of their own fishing fleets, the new agreement is designed to raise the cost of IUU fishing as it blocks improperly caught fish from being brought to land and entering markets.

See more: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/424284/icode/