FAO Hails Milestone In Global Fight Against Illegal Fishing As 100 Countries Join Treaty

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2022) One hundred countries, including 60% of all countries with ports, have joined an agreement against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for better port controls and exchange of information, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.

The Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) commits participants to denying port access and use to foreign ships engaged in IUU fishing.

"Angola, Eritrea, Morocco and Nigeria are the latest countries to back the PSMA. Now 60 percent of port States globally, are committed to the agreement, which is a binding international instrument to combat IUU fishing," FAO said.

A coordinated fight against illegal fishing is especially important amid growing consumer demand and changing water food systems, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said.

One in every five fish caught around the world every year is estimated to originate from IUU fishing, FAO said, adding that it threatens the sustainability of national, regional and global fisheries, and the preservation of marine ecosystems.

"We need to work together to step up port controls and an adequate information exchange through the implementation of the PSMA. This will contribute to transforming aquatic food systems and maximize their role as drivers of employment, economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability," Manuel Barange, director of FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, was quoted as saying in the statement.

FAO has recently launched the PSMA Global Information Exchange System, a mechanism intended for collection of official compliance-related information as well as of the data on port inspections and port entries or denials information.