FAO consolidates its support to Mozambique in the fight against IUU fishing
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) undertook a five-day mission to Mozambique, between 15 – 19 September 2025, to consolidate the implementation of the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) and complementary instruments to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The mission resumed the technical assistance provided to Mozambique in this area of work, which had been interrupted due to a change in government.
The FAO team met with the National Institute of the Sea (INAMAR, IP) where priorities were agreed upon to consolidate previous work – the updating of the National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing and the Legal Regime for the Fishing Infraction Procedure. The third legal instrument identified as a priority for further work during this mission was the draft Statutes and Regulations for Fisheries Inspectors.
The FAO team also met with the National Director of Sea Affairs and the National Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture to discuss the importance of continuing the work developed, bearing in mind the international and regional commitments of Mozambique.
The mission was also successful in identifying synergies with a new project Improving fisheries MCS capacity for industrial and small-scale fisheries in Mozambique’s coastal areas and EEZ, which will now implement the monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) policy and strategy, which had become law in Mozambique following work by FAO. In this regard, a meeting was held with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique.
This five-day mission was developed under a current FAO Technical Cooperation Programme to catalyse the implementation of the PSMA in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).