Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing
The content is not available.
The content is not available.

5 June – 8th International Day for the fight against IUU fishing

© FAO
05/06/2025

The 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) entered into force on 5 June 2016.

With the PSMA being the first international binding agreement focused on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the international community declared 5 of June the International Day for the Fight against IUU Fishing.

Every year, the IUU day recalls the commitment of States to reach the Targets 14.4 and 14.6 which include the elimination of IUU fishing to safeguard sustainable fisheries.

These targets are to be achieved through coordinated efforts of port, flag, coastal and market States to implement effective measures enshrined in the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, adopted 30 years ago, and the suite of subsequent instruments adopted within its framework, both binding instruments – like PSMA and the 1993 FAO High Seas Compliance Agreement (HSCA) – and voluntary, such as the Voluntary Guidelines for Flag State Performance and the Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment.

As an actionable agreement, 9 years since its entry into force, the PSMA has proven to be an effective support in the implementation of flag State responsibilities and strengthening the fulfilment of coastal and market State responsibilities. The PSMA, as a multilateral fisheries control mechanism, promotes a culture of compliance with the applicable regulations both within and beyond national jurisdictions.

Given that fish products have to be landed to enter markets, within the framework of the Agreement, the Parties have established a strong port control system enhanced by a network of cooperation, including through the Global Information Exchange System (GIES), to intercept IUU fishing products.

IUU fishing is often linked to sub-standard levels of safety and working conditions, and in this regard, FAO has worked closely with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the past 25 years through the Joint Working Group on IUU fishing and related matters. Together, these organisations have promoted and supported the implementation of the PSMA, IMO Cape Town Agreement (CTA) and ILO Work in Fishing Convention (C188), with the aim of instilling inter-agency control mechanisms at national, regional and international levels to achieve the objectives of these binding treaties.  

Due to its nature, the PSMA lends itself to supporting the implementation of international conventions such as CITES and other instruments, including the WTO AFS and the BBNJ, when they come into force.