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Another 13 legal professionals are now in a better position to assist their respective countries in developing and implementing national plans and processes for the effective detection, investigation and the prosecution of fisheries offences and violations, after having completed a three-week course organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The ninth edition of the FAO international course on fisheries law, which forms part of the FAO fisheries training programme in support of the implementation of international instruments, was held from 20 October – 7 November 2025, at the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) FAO training hub in Malta.

The legal professionals, all working in national institutions and authorities of Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Namibia and South Africa, followed this intensive course which comprised the Law of the Sea and ocean affairs, in particular fisheries governance, including fisheries law and policy, fisheries management, monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), and compliance and enforcement. 

Lectures for this course included FAO officials, staff from the IMO specialized academic institution IMLI, and international legal, MCS and enforcement experts.

Funding for this course was provided by the European Union and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea.

The FAO international course on fisheries law, developed under FAO’s global programme to support the implementation of the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), complementary international instruments, and regional mechanisms and tools to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, is particularly beneficial for government officials, including legal practitioners working with fisheries legislation, magistrates and judges, fisheries MCS and enforcement officials, and senior managers.

The course is aligned with the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and contributes to the achievement of the Four Betters and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 14 (“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development").

FAO’s global programme provides several training possibilities and other capacity development initiatives to assist States in implementing the PSMA and complementary international instruments to combat IUU fishing.

More information is available here.

Contact can be made with FAO here: [email protected].