Combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems because it undermines national and regional fisheries conservation and management efforts. It also jeopardizes livelihoods, exacerbates poverty, and increases food insecurity.
The FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA), in force since 2016, is the first binding international agreement targeting IUU fishing practices. Its objective is to combat IUU fishing by preventing vessels engaged in such activities from using ports and landing their catches. To support its implementation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has established auxiliary tools like the PSMA Global Information Exchange System.
FAO has assisted more than 50 States to implement the PSMA. This fact sheet shares examples of assistance by FAO in three countries.