Fifth Regional Coordination Meeting held to discuss the PSMA
Senior officials and technical experts from Europe, representing intergovernmental organizations and Parties and non-Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), met in the United Kingdom, in the fifth and final session of a series of PSMA Regional Coordination Meetings (RCMs).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has this year convened several Regional Coordination Meetings that discussed, on a regional level, the implementation of the PSMA and follow up on the ‘Bali Strategy’ adopted by the Parties to the Agreement in May 2023. The meeting for Europe took place in London between the 23 – 27 September 2024, with delegates from 8 countries, the European Union, and three regional fishery bodies.
The PSMA is the first binding international agreement designed to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Entering into force in 2016, the PSMA has the highest rate of adherence of all international fisheries instruments. Currently, the PSMA has 79 Parties including the European Union which is considered as one Party on behalf of its Member States. The Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea and Comoros are the latest States to adhere to the PSMA, bringing the total number of States bound by the Agreement to 105.
The PSMA Regional Coordination Meetings were called for by the Parties themselves at the first Meeting of the Parties held in Oslo in 2017. Specifically, this meeting took stock of the status of the Agreement and its application in the region, addressed challenges in the implementation of the PSMA and the usage of the PSMA Global Information Exchange System. At the same time, the meeting discussed regional port State measures implementation strategies and drew up recommendations, including on improving the effectiveness and monitoring the implementation of the PSMA, for consideration by the PSMA Strategy and Monitoring Working Group.
Addressing the fifth Regional Coordination Meeting, Matthew Camilleri, Leader of the FAO Fisheries Global and Regional Processes Team defined these meetings as a great opportunity for progressing on the coordination and implementation of the PSMA at regional level whilst advancing discussions on various aspects of the Bali Strategy.
The fifth PSMA Regional Coordination Meeting was held with the technical contribution of the United Kingdom.
More information on the PSMA and FAO’s work is available here.