EJF welcomes approval of new international Treaty to combat Pirate Fishing, and calls on nations to ratify

The approved Port State Treaty must now be ratified and implemented. If done so effectively it should mean the end of Ports of Convenience such as Las Palmas.
The approved Port State Treaty must now be ratified and implemented. If done so effectively it should mean the end of Ports of Convenience such as Las Palmas.
EJF welcomes the announcement by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that the new Port State Treaty to address illegal fishing has been approved, and is open for signature.

Officially known as the Agreement of Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, the treaty specifies minimum standards for inspection and provides port States with the obligation to prohibit entry to illegal fishing vessels.

‘Effective Port State measures are a crucial tool in the fight to end pirate fishing globally’ said EJF Director Steve Trent. ‘For too long pirate fishing operations have been able to exploit lax oversight in Ports of Convenience to get their stolen fish onto the market. Governments need to crack down on vessels that engage in pirate fishing activities and refuse port entry to illegal vessels. The new Port State Treaty effectively sets out the requirements to achieve this’.

The Treaty establishes that foreign fishing vessels can only enter especially designated ports. In addition, vessels will be forced to ask for permission in due time, presenting information on their activities and the legality of the fish they carry onboard. In so doing, authorities will have an opportunity to detect illegal fishing activities in advance.

The treaty also obliges countries to carry out regular inspections and sets forth a series of requirements for these inspections, with the aim of identifying via a ship’s documentation, its fishing gear, captures and log book if it has engaged in pirate fishing activities.

The treaty is now open for signature with several countries already signing at yesterday’s meeting. The agreement will legally enter into force after 25 countries have ratified it.

'Globally illegal fishing has reached critical levels’ said EJF Senior Campaigner Duncan Copeland. ‘It is crucial that this Treaty is ratified as quickly as possible so that it enters into force. We urge all coastal States to sign and implement the Port State Treaty without delay.’