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.
