New era beckons with implementation of illegal fishing treaty
FAO chief hails Port State Measures Agreement, urges rapid action to provide technical and financial resources
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.