At the 27th meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI), which took place in Rome, Italy, from 5-9 March 2007, over 130 States and the EU agreed to start a process leading to the adoption of a legally binding international agreement establishing control measures in ports where fish is landed, transhipped or processed in order to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Additional consultations will be held in 2007 and 2008 to generate a draft version of the agreement, which will be presented to COFI for final approval in 2009. In the next few months, the FAO will focus on three priorities: creating an effective international instrument for port State control; setting up a register to facilitate monitoring of vessels involved in illegal fishing; and continuing the work in progress on how satellite-based monitoring systems can be deployed to control illegal fishing. In relation to the environmental impact of deep-sea fishing, COFI confirmed the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in December by agreeing on a calendar for their implementation by the FAO. Other issues discussed during the meeting included: responsible fish trade; the importance of the aquaculture sector and the need for its sustainable growth in a responsible manner; social problems adversely affecting fishing communities, such as illness and poverty; the implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries; and the strengthening of regional fisheries management organizations and regional fishery bodies.
Link to further information
FAO Press release, 12 March 2007