Shanghai Ocean University and FAO host International Seminar on the PSMA
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Shanghai Ocean University hosted an International Seminar about the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA).
The seminar was held on 11 and 12 May 2021 with participants from FAO, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Parties to the PSMA, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The PSMA Secretariat gave a global overview and introduced the Agreement, its implementation, the Global Capacity Development Programme, the Global Information Exchange System (GIES) being developed, as well as FAO’s technical guidelines in support of the implementation of the PSMA.
The FAO Development Law Service (LEGN) elaborated the international legal frameworks and mechanisms available to combat IUU fishing.
Brice Martin-Castex from IMO presented the IMO Port State Control and Coordination with the PSMA.
From the regional perspective, representatives from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) explained port State measures and electronic port State control systems respectively and their alignment with the PSMA.
Party representatives from Asia and the Pacific, Europe, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions had a rich exchange of experience and shared views on the implementation of the PSMA at country level, including challenges encountered and ways to address them.
An official from the Fisheries Bureau of China talked about China's fisheries management and its implementation of fisheries-related Conventions, while an official from the Ministry of Transport spoke about China’s port State control. Chinese participants also introduced efforts undertaken by China to combat IUU fishing and its preparation and challenges to accession to the PSMA.
The Fisheries Bureau of China highly recognized the important role played by the PSMA in combatting IUU fishing and showed appreciation towards the efforts made by FAO and its Members for the Agreement's entering into force and implementation. In particular, it praised this international Seminar as an opportunity to exchange views with different Parties and increase its knowledge of the PSMA and its implementation requirements, and expressed its wish to continue dialogue and cooperation with the FAO Fisheries Global and Regional Processes Team to facilitate China’s accession to the PSMA.
Representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Immigration Administration, and the China Coast Guard also participated in the Seminar.