Report of the Fifth Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Manta, Ecuador, 21–25 April 2025.
The Parties reviewed the results of the 2024 questionnaires for the review and assessment of the effectiveness of the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA).
Parties reported on a wide range of activities to implement the PSMA and highlighted implementation challenges. Appreciation was expressed for recent enhancements to the Global Information Exchange System (GIES). The Parties noted that information exchange is the backbone of the PSMA supporting the essential work of Parties, RFMOs and other international instruments in combating IUU fishing. The Parties agreed to designate a national general/administrative coordinator through a dedicated new section in the GIES.
Terms of Reference for the Strategy and Monitoring Working Group (SMWG) and Terms of Reference for a taskforce on the sustainable functioning of the PSMA were adopted.
The Parties commended the technical assistance provided by FAO through the Global Capacity Development Programme and reiterated the importance of recurrent training in support of the implementation of the PSMA and complementary international instruments. Support was expressed for formulating indicators for monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the PSMA that are simple and straightforward and considered that indicators should be used as part of a broader monitoring process conducted by the SMWG and the Meeting of the Parties. The programme of work was discussed and the Parties agreed on a schedule of PSMA meetings.