FAO facilitates an interagency workshop in Trinidad and Tobago
From 26 to 30 September 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was in Trinidad and Tobago to facilitate an interagency workshop in the framework of the European Union funded project, Third PSMA Global Capacity Development Programme Support Project and Follow up Action to the Thirty-third FAO Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Over 5 days, sixteen national authorities and entities under seven different ministries and one regional organisation reviewed the international framework supporting efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, considered the role of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and enforcement, and presented their own authorities and organisations and their work with regards to vessels engaged in fishing and fishing related activities.
The participants also undertook a range of scenario-based practical exercises and visited two port facilities where both national vessels and vessels from other States land catches. Participants noted areas of risk with regards to IUU fishing and, in the interagency context, crimes associated with fisheries.
The workshop was highly valued by the participants, which agreed next steps involving the development of a framework for information exchange, beginning with a mapping exercise to identify the information needs of participating agencies.