COFI35 - Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment
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Transshipment involves the direct transfer of any quantity of fish from one vessel to another, regardless of its location, before the cargo is recorded as landed at its final destination.
It can take place in areas under national jurisdiction but more often on the high seas where Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU) undermines national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks.
When there is no scrutiny or regulation, fish stocks risk becoming seriously depleted, biodiversity and sustainability are in question, and consumers are left vulnerable when there is no accountability or traceability of their aquatic products.
FAO, in collaboration with Member States, has developed Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment which will be presented at the Thirty-fifth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI35).