FAO.org

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding provided by the FAO/Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Cooperation Programme: Technical assistance for sustainable fisheries practices (RG-T3162), is supporting Suriname under its Capacity Development Programme dedicated to supporting the implementation of the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA). 

The first step of this support is always a gap assessment and the formulation of a National Strategy and Action Plan developed in-country during a week-long mission.

However, given the current travel limitations due to Covid-19, the workshop FAO had scheduled for April 2020 had to be postponed. In order to prepare for when in-country assistance can be provided, FAO experts are carrying out a virtual workshop over a number of days, bringing together representatives from different, relevant agencies both physically in Suriname and through the use of technology.

During six sessions spread over two and a half weeks, FAO will facilitate a series of technical exchanges covering the effective implementation of the PSMA and complementary international instruments, which would usually be addressed in the week’s workshop.

The first session was held on Tuesday 27 October and the last one will be on Tuesday 10 November.

This series of video conferences will not replace a face-to-face workshop but will create a solid foundation for the in-country workshop when this can be organised in the future. Such exchanges allow both sides to start considering what would be included in a National Strategy and Action Plan, which would be developed and validated in the subsequent workshop.

This National Strategy and Action Plan will review and provide recommendations for the alignment of, as appropriate, national policies, legislation and MCS systems and operations to the provisions of the PSMA and complementary international instruments and regional mechanisms to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.