More than 90 countries have agreed to a treaty to address “pirate” fishing.

The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is aimed at combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The first ever global pact on this subject, which intends to block illicit fish catches from entering international markets, and focuses on ending such violations as unlicensed fishing, using illegal gear, disregarding fishing seasons, catching prohibited or undersized species, and fishing in closed areas. Under the treaty, foreign fishing boats will be required to request permission to dock from specially designated ports ahead of time, transmitting information on their activities and the fish they have on board. The treaty also mandates regular inspections and outlines a set of standards that will be used during those inspections, including reviews of ship papers, surveys of fishing gear, examining catches and checking a ship’s records.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) organized the negotiations leading to the agreement on the treaty, and the FAO’s Director-General will act as legal depository for countries’ ratifications. The text will be reviewed by FAO’s Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters at its next meeting (23-25 September 2009), following which it will be considered during FAO’s Council meeting in September and the FAO Conference in November for final review and formal adoption.
Link to further information
FAO news release, 1 September 2009