Mauritius is the latest African nation to accede to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).
Mauritius is a vital hub for the seafood trade in the western Indian Ocean, and implementing the PSMA is expected to improve the capacity to stop illegal fishing taking place.
Under PSMA, which was adopted at the 2009 FAO conference, vessel inspections can be carried out or access to ports can be denied as part of a concerted effort to deny access to port and landing infrastructure for vessels fishing illegally, blocking the flow of illegally caught fish.
‘It is great to see another FISH-i Africa member become party to the PSMA,’ commented Nicholas Ntheketha, Chair of FISH-i Africa, the independent task force dedicated to combating illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean. ‘It shows how seriously our region is in fighting illegal fishing and provides encouragement to us all.’
‘Mauritius recognises the PSMA as an important tool to help stop the illegal capture and trade of fish,’ said Deep Rumjee, representing Mauritius within FISH-I Africa. ‘We are delighted that this is now in place so that we can begin to implement the measure and realise the benefits of our oceans more fully.’
