Official launch of the Legislative Guide on Combating Crimes in the Fisheries Sector during the 9th Our Ocean Conference
Athens, 16 April 2024. The Legislative Guide on Combating Crimes in the Fisheries Sector, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) [1] was officially launched during the 9th Our Ocean Conference (OOC-9), held from 15 to 17 April in Athens, Greece. The Guide is one of the tools developed by UNODC under its FishNET project, funded by the Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency (Norad).
The OOC-9 side event which launched the Guide showcased new tools to address crimes in the fisheries sector and discussed the interconnected risks related to environmental impacts and fundamental labor rights in seafood supply chains. Participants included representatives from Member States, inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
At the side event, which was co-organized by UNODC, FAO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the FAO Development Law Service (LEGN) recalled the sustainable fisheries component of the FAO Blue Transformation vision 2022-2030, whose key outcomes include achieving decent work in the fisheries sector for women and men, and phasing out illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. LEGN also highlighted the significance of the Agreement on Port States Measures (PSMA) and the various FAO tools and voluntary guidelines that support the fight against IUU fishing, noting the recent accessions of Comoros and Papua New Guinea. LEGN also showcased the key findings of the scientific journal article Enforcement approaches against illegal fishing in national fisheries legislation, which was developed based on research of the fisheries legislation of 93 FAO Member States and the EU using FAOLEX.
LEGN contributed to the development of the Guide, and to the training event organized by UNODC in Nairobi, Kenya (2024) for English speaking African countries. LEGN and UNODC continue to collaborate in awareness-raising and capacity-building activities on the use of the Guide. Another regional workshop is planned for Francophone African countries in the second semester of 2024.
For more related information on the UNODC Legislative Guide on Combatting Crimes in the Fisheries Sector, see here, and please contact [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].
[1] Through the Global Programme on Implementing the Organized Crime Convention and the Global Programme on Combating Crimes that Affect the Environment.