FAO assists Sri Lanka to combat IUU fishing
FAO held a participatory national workshop in Sri Lanka to develop a National Strategy and Roadmap for addressing gaps 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 Negombo, Sri Lanka, from 4 to 8 July 2022, which was immediately followed up by specific legal assistance on the revision and the drafting of fisheries legislation, in Colombo.
Strong commitment and engagement in the workshop were confirmed through the participation from a wide range of different national agencies, including the sectors for fisheries, ports, coast guard, navy, police, customs, immigration, labour, health, conservation, and research, as well as the office of the Attorney General. There was a rich and open exchange of information and experience during the five-day workshop, which has provided valuable input.
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.
The resulting National Strategy and Roadmap will provide the basis for Sri Lanka to strengthen policy and legal frameworks, establish institutional arrangements, and strengthen the monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) system consistent with the provisions of the PSMA. Consequently, this will lead to establishing a work plan on the next steps and actions to be taken.
Work on the revision and the drafting of fisheries legislation was also initiated during the mission, which has been identified as an urgent issue to be addressed. FAO will develop draft proposals to ensure appropriate implementation of international obligations related to sustainable fisheries and the fight against IUU fishing which will be presented to the drafting team for finalisation.
FAO provided this assistance to Sri Lanka in the context of the Norwegian-funded project on responsible use of fisheries and aquaculture resources for sustainable development (GCP/GLO/352/NOR).