Improving Sustainability of Marine Fisheries by Increasing Capacity to Preventi, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing - GCP/INT/413/EC

Project's full title	Improving Sustainability of Marine Fisheries by Increasing Capacity to Preventi, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing - GCP/INT/413/EC
Introduction	Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing undermines national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks and, as a consequence, inhibits progress towards achieving the goals of long-term sustainability, in particular Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.
Country	Côte d'Ivoire Trinidad and Tobago
Start date	01/02/2020
End date	31/12/2022
Status	Closed
Donor	European Union
Recipient / Target Areas	Côte d'Ivoire, Trinidad and Tobago
Budget	USD 1 089 495
Project Code	GCP/INT/413/EC
Objective / Goal	The project aimed to improve the capacity of States for the effective implementation of port State measures (PSMs) and complementary monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) operations, measures and tools to combat IUU fishing. This aim was to be achieved through four main result areas, namely (i) strengthened national policy and legislative frameworks to combat IUU fishing, (ii) strengthened national means, competencies and coordination among the relevant national and regional agencies and institutions to carry out efficient MCS operations to combat IUU fishing through PSMs and complementary MCS tools and measures, (iii) increased transparency and traceability in fisheries sector activities and (iv) production and dissemination of results-based project implementation and knowledge products related to combating IUU fishing. The project specifically responded to requests for assistance by Côte d’Ivoire and Trinidad and Tobago, respectively, to strengthen capacities to combat IUU fishing and to develop a national control plan and a national inspection plan for fishing vessels at port as a means of strengthening the national MCS framework and coordination of related operations among a range of regulatory agencies. The project also responded to the support expressed by FAO’s Committee on Fisheries for the work of FAO in continuing to develop technical guidelines for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of IUU fishing.
Partners	Ministry of Animal and Fishery Resources (Côte d’Ivoire); Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries (Trinidad and Tobago)
Beneficiaries	National institutions and entities engaged in activities related to combating IUU fishing, regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements
Activities	Draft strategy and action plan drafted and submitted to the authorities in Côte d’Ivoire, and a legal review undertaken to assess the alignment of the national legal framework with the binding international obligations in terms of port, flag and coastal State responsibilities. Analysis and update of the National Plan of Action to combat IUU fishing launched in Côte d’Ivoire. A draft proposal for a national MCS control plan, a national inspection plan, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) were developed and delivered to the Government for review, finalization and adoption. Ten officers from the recently formed Joint Fisheries Monitoring Centre of Trinidad and Tobago trained in the use of a vessel monitoring system and electronic reporting system for the national fleet of longline vessels. Three regional webinars covering America, Europe and Africa and Asia and the Pacific were held by FAO to present a working model of the PSMA Global Information Exchange System (GIES) and its integration with the Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels. Version 2 of the Global Record launched in September 2022. 69 States contributed to providing data and information to the Global Record, while there were 11 847 vessels, representing 40 percent of the global eligible fleet. Contribution to the production of a number of knowledge products including; (i) “Prospectus –FAO fisheries training programmein support of the implementation of international instruments”; (ii) a Global Capacity Development Portal brochure and (iii) two volumes of FAO’s series of technical guidelines on methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of IUU fishing.
Impact	The expected impact of the project was to improve the sustainability of marine fisheries by preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing.
Contact	Alicia Mosteiro Cabanelas (Lead Technical Officer) - [email protected]
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