Regional workshop on transshipment held in the Pacific
Officials from countries in the Pacific participated in the third of a series of regional workshops that took a closer look at the new FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment.
The workshop took place in Port Vila, Vanuatu, between the 17 and 21 July 2023. This followed earlier workshops, held for Latin America, the Caribbean and North America, in Barbados, in March, and for Africa, held in Kenya, in June.
The FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment were endorsed by the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in September last year, after they were adopted by FAO Members following a global technical consultation held earlier in 2022.
The guidelines are a new international instrument meant to assist States and regional fisheries management organizations or arrangements (RFMO/As) in developing or revising their regulations on transshipment to support them in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The guidelines set minimum international standards to regulate, monitor, and control transshipment of fish, whether processed or not. For the first time in the international framework, the guidelines provide clear definitions for what constitutes “transshipment” and “landing”; they establish clear processes and responsibilities for States in their different roles; and eliminate ambiguous situations through specific transshipment and landing declarations.
Through a series of regional workshops, FAO is raising awareness about the guidelines and their contribution to sustainable fisheries.
Addressing the opening session, Matthew Camilleri, Leader of the FAO Fisheries Global and Regional Processes Team at FAO Headquarters in Rome, referred to the Voluntary Guidelines as yet another significant milestone attained by the international community where an agreement has been reached on international standards to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. Dr Camilleri stressed that it is now crucial for States, including through regional fisheries bodies and regional mechanisms, to implement the guidelines. “Strengthened concerted action by all stakeholders to put an end to IUU fishing is urgently needed to safeguard the sustainability of our fisheries resources”, concluded Dr Camilleri.
This third workshop brought together delegates from six countries.
More information about the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment and FAO’s work on transshipment, is available here.