Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to threaten effective conservation and management of fish stocks in the wider Pacific Region. IUU fishing is causing economic and social losses for the Pacific Countries and negatively impacts their food security and livelihoods.

FAO, Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Tongan Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFFF) are working together to implement the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to combat IUU fishing in Tonga.

The Agreement on Port State Measures is designed to increase global collaboration between fisheries and port authorities, coast guards and navies. The aim of the Agreement is to eliminate IUU fishing, through globally agreed minimum standards for action, enabling better inspections and controls at the ports and on vessels and strengthened port state and flag state responsibility.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food Forestry and Fisheries, Honarable Semisi Fakahau, has expressed the commitment of the Government of Tonga in taking steps towards protecting Tonga’s marine resources from IUU fishing which has cost the international community over US$20 billion dollars each year.

He stressed the importance of an inclusive inter-agency approach to implementing Port State Measures including national authorities such as the Ports Authority, Justice Department, Crown Law Office, the Navy and Customs.

The Agreement on Port State Measures is important for Tonga and the Pacific countries as it empowers them to exert greater control of their own waters and over shared stocks and increasing transparency of fishing operations by the flag states.

The Agreement provides Pacific countries with a cost-effective way to combat IUU fishing. A port state may prohibit entry of a vessel where there is evidence of IUU fishing by the vessel. A harmonized system of port inspections, communications and measures means that a vessel is unable to offload valuable catch or carry on fishing operations and may be squeezed out of business.

Where the vessel has entered port, the port state may – or in certain circumstances must – deny the use of port to the vessel for such profitable activities including landings, transshipments, supply and services.

FAO in collaboration with FFA is committed to providing capacity development for its members and to FFA member countries on the implementation of the Agreement on Port State Measures.

At a recent workshop held in Tonga, experts from FAO, FFA and other participants studied the Agreement on Port State Measures in detail and shared information, global best practices and experiences to determine the best and cost effective means of implementing the Agreement. The participants also discussed and identify legal and policy, institutional and capacity development and operational issues relating to implementation of the Agreement. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this national workshop will include a road-map for eventual accession by Tonga to the Agreement on Port State measures and its implementation.

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More information about port state measures can be found at: http://www.fao.org/fishery/psm/en