Nigeria has become the latest country to become party to the 2009 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Agreement on Port State Measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (PSMA).

The PSMA came into force in 2016 and is now in force in more than half of port States around the world. The PSMA prevents, deters and eliminates IUU fishing by preventing vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. It reduces the incentive of such vessels to continue to operate while it also blocks fishery products derived from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing from reaching national and international markets.

Nigeria’s accession, in October 2022, brings the total number of Parties to the PSMA to 73, and it becomes the 27th African State to become a Party. Nigeria joins the other five Member States of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, and Togo) as parties to the agreement.

FCWC Secretary-General Seraphin Dedi stated: “We thank our colleagues in Nigeria for securing this resounding endorsement of our region-wide efforts to fight IUU fishing. This is welcome news and will help us to strengthen our collaborative efforts to tackle and stop illegal fishing. Through the West Africa Task Force we have already established strong regional and national information sharing protocols, and are improving capacity to fight IUU fishing through support to national working groups and targeted training.”

Per Erik Bergh of Stop Illegal Fishing commented, “Port controls are critical in stopping illegally caught fish getting access to markets. For Nigeria this is especially important, not only are they are major coastal, port and flag State they are also a massive market State importing large amounts of small pelagic fish annually. Their contribution in the African fight against illegal fishing is significant.”

Sandy Davies, Stop Illegal Fishing, added, “The PSMA makes it harder for illegal fishers to exploit differences in the laws of port States. Cooperation between port States is crucial. With all six FCWC Member States now party to the PSMA we hope to see tangible benefits for the region as vessels identified operating illegally are blocked access to the region’s ports.”

The West Africa Task Force brings together the six member countries of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo – to tackle illegal fishing and fisheries crime. The Task Force is facilitated by the FCWC Secretariat and supported by a Technical Team that includes TM-Tracking and Stop Illegal Fishing with funding from Norad. By actively cooperating, by sharing information and by facilitating national interagency working groups the West Africa Task Force is working together to stop illegal fishing.