FAO.org

Mexico is the latest FAO Member to become a Party to the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), 30 days after the deposit of its instrument of accession.

This latest development takes the number of PSMA Parties to 76, including the European Union which acts as one Party on behalf of its Member States.

Effectively, the number of States that are now covered by the Agreement has risen to 102, 17 of which are in the Latin America and Caribbean region. The Agreement now covers 63% of the world’s coastal States. The PSMA entered into force in 2016 with 25 Parties.

The Agreement is the most cost-effective means for States to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It sets minimum standards for Parties to follow to restrict fish caught through IUU fishing from entering the national or international markets. Within the first five years since entry into force of the Agreement, a third of PSMA Parties had already denied entry or use of port to vessels believed to have engaged in IUU fishing.

FAO encourages remaining States to become a Party to the PSMA by depositing their instrument of accession with the FAO Director-General. More information on how a State can become a Party is available here. FAO stands ready to provide support as required through [email protected].