The Port State Measures Agreement, designed by the FAO as a mechanism to help crush illegal fishing, is set to come into force as international law on the 5th of June now that 30 members have deposited the required articles of adherence.
‘This is the dawn of a new era in the effort to combat illegal fishing,’ announced FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva. ‘By denying unscrupulous fishers safe haven and access to markets, the PSMA will drive the seafood industry toward greater sustainability and have significant ripple effects throughout the entire fisheries supply chain. Let no port state be known and targeted by IUU fishing operators as a shelter for non-compliance," he said, adding that more countries should also ratify the treaty.
‘This is the dawn of a new era in the effort to combat illegal fishing. By denying unscrupulous fishers safe haven and access to markets, the PSMA will drive the seafood industry toward greater sustainability and have significant ripple effects throughout the entire fisheries supply chain,’ Jose Graziano da Silva said.
The Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) is seen as the world’s first binding international accord aimed specifically at IUU fishing, giving states the power to send inspectors to examine vessels for illegally caught fish.
The treaty requires designated specific ports for use by foreign vessels, making control easier. Those vessels must request permission to enter ports ahead of time, and provide local authorities with information, including on the fish they have on board, and allowing inspection of their log book, licences, fishing gear and actual cargo, among other things.
The Agreement calls on countries to deny entry or inspect vessels that have been involved in IUU fishing, and to take necessary action. To support this, the Agreement also includes the obligation for parties to share information regionally and globally regarding any vessels discovered to be involved in IUU fishing. The PSMA applies to any use of a port, so even vessels that are just refuelling will have to comply with inspection requirements.
The European Union has signed the PSMA as a single entity, bringing all 29 member states with it.
In the cases of developing and small island nations, there have been difficulties implementing PSMA. Consequently the FAO has put substantial investment into capacity building to support port state measures. The FAO has also launched a series of national, regional and inter-regional initiatives, including a global programme on capacity development for implementation of the Agreement.
Parties to the PSM Agreement are: Australia, Barbados, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, the European Union, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Iceland, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Palau, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, Tonga, United States of America, Uruguay, and Vanuatu.
