FAO.org

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlighted the importance of international cooperation, information sharing and capacity development in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing during the Our Ocean Conference, held in Kenya last month.

Representing FAO at Plenary Session 5, Combatting IUU through community-led solutions and science-based management, Dr Matthew Camilleri, Secretary of the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) and Leader of the PSMA, Fisheries Operations and Compliance Team within FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, emphasized four key pillars to strengthen global efforts against IUU fishing.

These include: the effective implementation of international instruments, including the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), which marks the tenth anniversary of its entry into force this year, together with the 1993 FAO High Seas Compliance Agreement (HSCA) and complementary instruments; strengthened cooperation among port, flag, coastal and market States through regional fisheries management organizations and arrangements, and bilateral agreements; enhanced information sharing through the PSMA Global Information Exchange System (GIES) and the FAO Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels (Global Record); and sustained investment in capacity development to reinforce national capabilities for fisheries governance and compliance.

Dr Camilleri emphasized that “the combined implementation of these measures, supported by effective enforcement and timely information exchange, forms the basis of a global fisheries compliance network that contributes to sustainable fisheries, protects marine ecosystems, and safeguards livelihoods and food security for future generations”.

Beyond the plenary, Dr Camilleri contributed to several side events, including Securing our ocean and fisheries: Regional leadership uniting for a transparent and sustainable blue African future, organized by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), where Ministers from Angola, Ghana, Mozambique and Nigeria discussed regional cooperation to strengthen fisheries governance.

He also participated in discussions on i) strengthening vessel information systems and regional collaboration in Africa, highlighting the importance of linking regional vessel records with the FAO Global Record to reinforce a global fisheries compliance network; and ii) on accelerating the use of electronic monitoring to improve fisheries data and compliance, and announced a commitment during Plenary Session 7 to reduce marine litter from fisheries activities and maritime transport, with particular attention to abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG).

Dr Camilleri concluded that “the concerted implementation of international instruments, strengthened cooperation among States, effective enforcement and improved information sharing are essential components of a global fisheries compliance network that supports sustainable fisheries for present and future generations”.