Three Treaties to End Illegal Fishing

To support efforts to end illegal fishing, The Pew Charitable Trusts advocates for the harmonized implementation of three international agreements that seek to make it more difficult for unscrupulous operators to exploit gaps in national and regional fishing regulations. Read more →

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), in force since 2016, strengthens port controls to prevent illegally caught fish from entering the global market. The International Labour Organization’s Work in Fishing Convention No. 188 (C188), in force since 2017, sets basic standards for decent work conditions in the commercial fishing industry. And the International Maritime Organization’s Cape Town Agreement (CTA), which will enter into force once 22 States have ratified with a total of 3,600 fishing vessels 24 meters or longer, outlines safety standards for commercial fishing vessels and details regulations that countries party to the agreement must adopt to protect fishing crews and their observers.

All three U.N. agencies have recognized the benefits of the aforementioned instruments in tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and associated social issues.

The map below shows which U.N. Member States have ratified each treaty. Enter a specific country to learn more.

map

Filter by treaties

75 Ratified

In Force Status

20 Ratified

Not In Force Status

19 Ratified

In Force Status

Albania

PSMA: Ratified on 4/7/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Angola

PSMA: Ratified on 7/20/2022.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 10/11/2016.
Antigua and Barbuda

PSMA: Not ratified.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 7/28/2021.
Argentina

PSMA: Not ratified.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 9/15/2011.
Australia

PSMA: Ratified on 7/20/2015.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Bahamas

PSMA: Ratified on 10/7/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Bangladesh

PSMA: Ratified on 12/20/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Barbados

PSMA: Ratified on 2/2/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Belgium

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 5/10/2018 with 33 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Belize

PSMA: Not ratified.

CTA: Ratified on 3/29/1994 with 48 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Benin

PSMA: Ratified on 8/20/2021.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Bosnia and Herzegovina

PSMA: Not ratified.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 2/4/2010.
Cabo Verde

PSMA: Ratified on 6/23/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Cambodia

PSMA: Ratified on 12/6/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Canada

PSMA: Ratified on 6/20/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Chile

PSMA: Ratified on 8/28/2012.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Congo

PSMA: Not ratified.

CTA: Ratified on 5/28/2015 with 23 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 5/14/2014.
Cook Islands

PSMA: Not ratified.

CTA: Ratified on 10/21/2019 with 8 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Costa Rica

PSMA: Ratified on 12/4/2015.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Croatia

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 2/18/2021.

C188: Not ratified.
Cuba

PSMA: Ratified on 3/25/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Côte D'Ivoire

PSMA: Ratified on 10/23/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Denmark

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011; in respect of overseas territories on 11/28/2017.

CTA: Ratified on 8/6/2015 with 101 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 2/3/2020.
Djibouti

PSMA: Ratified on 11/27/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Dominica

PSMA: Ratified on 5/6/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Ecuador

PSMA: Ratified on 2/5/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Eritrea

PSMA: Ratified on 11/4/2022.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Estonia

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 5/3/2016.
European Union

PSMA: Ratified on 7/7/2011
Fiji

PSMA: Ratified on 2/13/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Finland

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 2/19/2020.

C188: Not ratified.
France

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011; in respect of overseas territories on 7/11/2016.

CTA: Ratified on 2/23/2018 with 103 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 10/28/2015.
Gabon

PSMA: Ratified on 11/15/2013.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Gambia, Republic of The

PSMA: Ratified on 7/29/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Germany

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 7/5/2016 with 39 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Ghana

PSMA: Ratified on 11/29/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Grenada

PSMA: Ratified on 6/17/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Guinea

PSMA: Ratified on 6/3/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Guyana

PSMA: Ratified on 3/7/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Iceland

PSMA: Ratified on 6/16/2015.

CTA: Ratified on 7/15/2013 with 175 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Indonesia

PSMA: Ratified on 6/23/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Japan

PSMA: Ratified on 5/17/2017.

CTA: Ratified on 3/29/1994 with 554 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Kenya

PSMA: Ratified on 8/23/2017.

CTA: Ratified on 3/17/2022 with 18 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Liberia

PSMA: Ratified on 5/21/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Libya

PSMA: Ratified on 12/5/2018.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Lithuania

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 11/16/2016.
Madagascar

PSMA: Ratified on 3/27/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Maldives

PSMA: Ratified on 3/16/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Mauritania

PSMA: Ratified on 1/23/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Mauritius

PSMA: Ratified on 8/31/2015.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Montenegro

PSMA: Ratified on 5/17/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Morocco

PSMA: Ratified on 5/29/2022.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 5/16/2013.
Mozambique

PSMA: Ratified on 8/19/2014.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Myanmar

PSMA: Ratified on 11/22/2010.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Namibia

PSMA: Ratified on 7/18/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 9/20/2018.
Netherlands

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 5/7/2014 with 153 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 12/19/2019.
New Zealand

PSMA: Ratified on 2/21/2014.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Nicaragua

PSMA: Ratified on 8/14/2020.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Nigeria

PSMA: Ratified on 10/6/2022.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Norway

PSMA: Ratified on 7/20/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 11/26/2013 with 242 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 1/8/2016.
Oman

PSMA: Ratified on 8/1/2013.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Palau

PSMA: Ratified on 11/30/2015.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Panama

PSMA: Ratified on 11/21/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Peru

PSMA: Ratified on 9/27/2017.

CTA: Ratified on 3/2/2021 with 474 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Philippines

PSMA: Ratified on 5/26/2018.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Poland

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 12/17/2019.
Portugal

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 3/29/1994 with 159 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 11/26/2019.
Republic of Korea

PSMA: Ratified on 1/14/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Russian Federation

PSMA: Ratified on 12/8/2020.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Saint Kitts and Nevis

PSMA: Ratified on 12/9/2015.

CTA: Ratified on 12/1/2017 with 0 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

PSMA: Ratified on 6/23/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Sao Tome and Principe

PSMA: Ratified on 11/22/2016.

CTA: Ratified on 10/21/2019 with 0 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Senegal

PSMA: Ratified on 3/23/2017.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 9/21/2018.
Seychelles

PSMA: Ratified on 6/19/2013.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Sierra Leone

PSMA: Ratified on 9/17/2018.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Somalia

PSMA: Ratified on 11/9/2015.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
South Africa

PSMA: Ratified on 2/16/2016.

CTA: Ratified on 8/19/2016 with 151 vessels.

C188: Ratified on 6/20/2013.
Spain

PSMA: Ratified by the EU on 7/7/2011.

CTA: Ratified on 2/7/2019 with 393 vessels.

C188: Not ratified.
Sri Lanka

PSMA: Ratified on 1/20/2011.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Sudan

PSMA: Ratified on 5/12/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Thailand

PSMA: Ratified on 5/6/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 1/30/2019.
Timor-Leste

PSMA: Ratified on 3/29/2023.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Togo

PSMA: Ratified on 12/2/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Tonga

PSMA: Ratified on 5/6/2016.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Trinidad and Tobago

PSMA: Ratified on 10/24/2019.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
Turkey

PSMA: Ratified on 3/30/2018.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Not ratified.
United Kingdom

PSMA: Ratified on 1/11/2021.

CTA: Not ratified.

C188: Ratified on 1/11/2019.
United States

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Three Treaties to End Illegal Fishing