Needs assessment workshop held in Senegal
FAO held a participatory national workshop in Senegal to develop a National Strategy and Roadmap for addressing needs in the effective implementation of the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), complementary international instruments and regional mechanism to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The workshop was held in Saly, Senegal, from 21 to 25 November 2022.
Participants representing a range of different national agencies, including fisheries, police and the navy attended and provided invaluable input into the five-day workshop.
The resulting National Strategy and Action Plan will provide the basis for Senegal to reform its policy and legal frameworks, establish institutional arrangements, and strengthen the monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) system consistent with the provisions of the PSMA.
The workshop also addressed the effective implementation of the 2012 IMO Cape Town Agreement and the 2007 ILO Work in Fishing Convention C.188, considering the important links between combatting IUU fishing and ensuring maritime safety and security as well as decent working conditions at sea.
This activity was the first intervention in the country under the Port State Measures Support Project (GCP/GLO/1047/GER) funded by the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) under the auspices of FAO's global capacity development programme to support the implementation of the PSMA. A series of capacity development activities is planned in Senegal until 2026 to strengthen the country’s capacity to effectively fulfil its international obligations as port, flag and coastal State to combat IUU fishing and to implement market-related measures in this regard.