FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment adopted
The Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment, developed by Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through a Technical Consultation, were adopted today as a new international instrument within the framework of the FAO's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
The Voluntary Guidelines will be presented to FAO's Committee on Fisheries later this year for endorsement.
Regulating, monitoring and controlling transshipment supports sustainable fisheries and further closes loopholes for fish derived from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing from entering the markets.
COFI had tasked the FAO Secretariat with undertaking global studies on transshipment to support the development of these Voluntary Guidelines, the results of which confirmed that a lack of regulation, monitoring and control increases the risk of fish caught through IUU fishing entering the seafood supply chain, undermining sustainable fisheries.
The Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment seek to assist States, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), and other intergovernmental organizations by providing standards they should apply when developing or reviewing their policies and regulations that govern transshipment, with a view to integrating these within the broader regulatory framework for sustainable fisheries management.
FAO's current work on transshipment is funded by the European Union and Germany.