COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES

Report of the
FAO/FFA REGIONAL WORKSHOP TO PROMOTE THE FULL AND
EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PORT STATE MEASURES TO
COMBAT ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING
Nadi, Fiji, 28 August–1 September 2006

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

FAO.
Report of the FAO/FFA Regional Workshop to Promote the Full and Effective Implementation of Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Nadi, Fiji, 28 August–1 September 2006.
FAO Fisheries Report. No. 810. Rome, FAO. 2007. 198p.

ABSTRACT

This document contains the report of, and the papers presented at the FAO/FFA Regional Workshop on the Implementation of Full and Effective Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, which was held at Nadi, Fiji, from 28 August to 1 September 2006. The objective of the workshop was to develop national capacity and promote regional coordination so that countries will be better placed to strengthen and harmonize port State measures and, as a result, meet the requirements of relevant Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) and implement the relevant tools of the 2001 FAO International Plan of Action on IUU Fishing and the 2005 FAO Model Scheme on port State measures to combat IUU fishing (FAO Model Scheme). The Workshop addressed: the role of the port State in combating IUU fishing and promoting long-term sustainability in fisheries; international developments relating to port State control; the FAO Model Scheme; issues and experiences in relation to port State measures at regional level; regional considerations and priorities of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA); FFA regional operational issues; regional considerations and priorities of the West and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC); findings and conclusions of the field study on port State measures in select major Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) fishing ports in the West and Central Pacific region; case studies of port State measures and activities in some United States Territories; and case studies of successful port State controls and prosecutions. Working groups were formed to encourage skills development and maximum participation, and they considered three exercises: (i) identification of key IUU fishing problems in the region and how the FAO Model Scheme could be adapted or strengthened to address them; (ii) consideration of a fictitious situation where a foreign fishing vessel was suspected of having conducted IUU fishing and port State measures must be taken; (iii) development of regional standards based on the FAO Model Scheme in relation to legal requirements, information requirements and systems, inspection procedures and results of inspections, and a training programme. Funding and support for the Workshop were given by: the FAO FishCode Programme through its TrainFish Component, supported by the Government of Sweden and its SIDS component, supported by the Government of Japan; the FAO Regular Programme; the FFA; the WCPFC; the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council; and the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, New Zealand, Tokelau, Tonga, the United States of America and Vanuatu.