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A National Strategy and Action Plan to strengthen Mozambique’s legal and policy framework, institutional and organisational framework and operational capacity was updated through a multi-stakeholder workshop held last month. 

The workshop, which was organised to update and validate the National Strategy and Action Plan to implement the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, complementary international instruments and regional mechanisms, was held from 18 to 20 June 2019 in Maputo, Mozambique.

Mozambique ratified the PSMA in August 2014, making it the third country in Africa to become Party to the Agreement.

The workshop was organised by Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF) and the Ministry of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, implemented together with FAO.

With the support of FAO and SIF, Mozambique intends to step up its efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including through a legal review, strengthen the institutional framework, and enhance monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) system, including the integration with regional and global MCS systems.

The workshop saw participation from representatives of the Directorate on Operations under the Mozambican Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, both from the main office in Maputo and from the fisheries ports of Beira and Nacala, as well as of the Marine Police, the Navy, the National Marine Institute (INAMAR), revenue authority and port of Maputo.

Mozambique's National Strategy and Action Plan for compliance with the PSMA and complementary instruments was formulated following a national workshop, facilitated by FAO, held in March 2017.