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The PSMA Open-Ended Technical Working Group on Information Exchange (TWG-IE), an informal working group established by the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), is convening for its third meeting, the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, between the 13 – 14 December 2022, this time at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy.

The meeting, held in hybrid mode, convenes – in person or in virtual mode – a total of 223 technical experts from 85 States and the European Union, and representatives from 2 specialized agencies, 10 intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and 5 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bringing together 53 Parties to the PSMA and 33 non-Parties.

The PSMA is a binding international agreement that targets illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Its objective is to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing by preventing vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. 

The TWG-IE is in charge of guiding the development of a critical technical tool of the PSMA, namely the Global Information Exchange System (GIES).

During this week’s meeting, the Working Group is discussing the state of affairs of the GIES, currently in pilot phase for use by the Parties to the PSMA, who are sharing their experience on the use of the tool, and proposing suggestions for further features and improvements. Participants are also discussing the role of the GIES in support of the implementation of international instruments and regional fishery management measures, and a workplan and strategy for the tool’s implementation.

The meeting also addresses the state of affairs of national contact points and that of designated ports for the PSMA, issues related to confidentiality and data security, the importance of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) number in the implementation of the PSMA, the role of regional fishery bodies in data exchange, and assistance to developing States.

Recommendations resulting from this meeting will be presented to the upcoming Fourth Meeting of the Parties to the PSMA, which will take place in May 2023 in Indonesia.

The third meeting of the PSMA Open-Ended Technical Working Group on Information Exchange is being held with the financial support of the European Union, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

The GIES is developed and maintained by FAO with financial support of Iceland with additional contributions from the European Union.