|
Groundbreaking treaty on illegal fishing approved
<http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/37627/icode/>
11/27/2009
A new treaty that aims to close fishing ports to ships
involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been
approved by the Food and Agriculture Organization's governing Conference.
Once it enters into force, it will be the first ever legally
binding international treaty focused specifically on this problem. It will
also be the only one to enlist so-called "non-flag states" in the fight
against IUU fishing, alongside flag states that are primarily responsible
for the conduct of vessels flying their flags on the high seas.
The "Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and
Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing" is set to enter into
force once 25 countries have ratified it.
The first eleven FAO members-Angola, Brazil, Chile, the
European Community, Indonesia, Iceland, Norway, Samoa, Sierra Leone, the
United States and Uruguay-signed the treaty immediately following its
approval by the Conference.
By signing the treaty, governments commit themselves to
prevent, deter and eventually eliminate IUU fishing including by taking
steps to guard their ports against vessels engaged in IUU fishing, thereby
preventing fish from such vessels from entering international markets.
"This is the most significant international treaty dealing
with fisheries since the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement," said Ichiro Nomura,
Assistant Director-General of FAO's Fisheries Department.
"It's a milestone achievement-no longer will we solely rely
on the ability of fishing nations to monitor behavior by vessels flying
their flags on the open waters of the oceans-now countries are committing to
taking steps to identify, report and deny entry to offenders at ports where
fishing fleets are received. That's a key back-door that will be slammed
shut with the new international treaty," he added.
By frustrating responsible management, IUU fishing damages
the productivity of fisheries and could lead to their collapse. That's a
serious problem for the people who depend on these resources for food and
income.
Operating without proper authorization, catching protected
species, using outlawed types of gear or disregarding catch quotas are among
the most common IUU fishing activities.
While there are ways to combat IUU fishing at sea, they are
often expensive and for developing countries, they can be difficult to
implement, given the large ocean spaces that need to be monitored and the
costs of the required technology.
As a result, port State measures are widely viewed as one of
the best and most efficient ways to fight IUU fishing.
Key measures that port States signing the treaty will commit
to include:
* Foreign fishing vessels wishing to dock will be required
to request permission from designated ports ahead of time, transmitting
information on their activities and the fish they have on board. This will
give authorities an opportunity to spot any red flags in advance.
* Port States will conduct regular inspections of ships
according to a common set of standards. Reviews of ship papers, surveys of
fishing gear, examining catches and checking a ship's records can often
reveal if it has engaged in IUU fishing.
* They also must ensure that ports are adequately equipped
and inspectors properly trained.
* When a vessel is denied access, port states must
communicate that information publicly and national authorities of the
country whose flag the vessel is flying must take follow-up action.
These measures apply to foreign fishing vessels not flying
the flag of port states, however, countries can apply them to their own
fishing fleets as well.
Parties to the agreement are obliged to undertake regular
monitoring of compliance, with a major review scheduled to occur four years
after the Agreement first takes effect.
Source: FAO
<http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/37627/icode/>
|