Coinciding with the entry into force of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) on 5 June 2016, FAO launched a new publication:  The Implementation of Port State Measures.  It provides generic legislative templates for the development of national legislation, as well as a framework for procedures and information on the role of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).

The author, Judith Swan, commented “many countries will need to make changes to their national legislation to ensure that the PSMA can be effectively implemented. This guide will assist in identifying where change is needed and provide guidance on new instruments and provisions.”

Stop Illegal Fishing has been supporting the drive for take-up of the PSMA and continues to encourage key port States to become party to the Agreement. Per Erik Bergh, Co-ordinator, Stop Illegal Fishing commented “The use of ports in developing countries as an entry point for illegally caught fish must be stopped. Illegal operators take advantage of weak controls and poor governance to get their goods to market; it has been well recognised that improving controls at ports is one the most effective means of deterring illegal fishing. By making the development of appropriate legislation easier we hope that more countries will become party to the PSMA.”

The generic legislative templates contained in this publication will provide a useful resource for all those grappling with how best to implement the PSMA through legislation, procedures and RFMOs.

The publication was developed in the framework of the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the FAO and can be downloaded here.