Head of Unit – Fisheries and Aquaculture
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11.00-11.20 |
Registration and welcome coffee |
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11.20-11.30 |
Welcome and opening remarks - Zacarias Albano da Costa, Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP)
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11.30-11.45 |
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Matthew Camilleri Leader - Global and Regional Processes Team Fisheries and Aquaculture Division
Introduction: International policy and legal framework to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU challenges – and how to effectively implement it.
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11.45-11.55 |
The Pew Charitable Trusts Elizabeth Wilson Senior Director Leader - Environmental Policy Team
Tools and systems: The value of information-sharing and cooperation to effectively implement the PSMA, complementary international instruments and regional mechanisms to combat IUU fishing.
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11.55-12.05 |
Chile Mr. Pablo Ortiz Head of Sub-Directorate of Fisheries from SERNAPESCA
Capacity development: How to become a responsible port State and what has proven key to effectively implement the PSMA.
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12.05-12.20 |
Portuguese Speaking Countries Cooperation Network on Sustainable Fishing - Esperança da Costa, Angolan Secretary of State for Fisheries - Zacarias Albano da Costa, Executive Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP)
Partnerships: How cooperation among a group of countries from different continents can strengthen each country’s capacity to promote sustainable fishing, effectively prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing, and raise awareness to the relevant international instruments.
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12.20-12.30 |
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Claire Delpeuch Head of Unit – Fisheries and Aquaculture
Eliminating subsidies to IUU fishing (as called for in SDG Target 14.6): How to eliminate incentives to engage in IUU fishing, by depriving IUU fishing from any government support through regulation and the use of types of subsidies that minimise the risk IUU fishing may benefit.
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12.30-12.40 |
Discussion on tools and partnerships, strengthening the effective implementation of international instruments to combat IUU fishing Blaise Kuemlangan Chief of the Development Law Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Teresa Amador Policy and Legal Expert - Global and Regional Processes Team Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO
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12.40-12.45 |
Wrap-up and summary of recommendations Matthew Camilleri Leader - Global and Regional Processes Team Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO
Manuel Clarote Lapão Director of Cooperation Executive Secretariat of CPLP |
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing
With Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’, the international community has recognized the vital role that the ocean plays for food security and nutrition, economic development and livelihoods in the fishing sector and in coastal communities. The ecological, economic and social impact caused by Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is reflected in SDG 14 in two targets that would have to be achieved by 2020: in target 14.4 which, among others, aims to effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, IUU fishing and destructive fishing practices; and in target 14.6 which, among others, aims to eliminate subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing.
The United Nations and its specialized agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are responsible for binding and non-binding international instruments that contribute to achieving these targets. The framework of international instruments and tools governing fisheries has been emerging in recent decades and lays out the responsibilities of States, regional fisheries management organizations and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources, maintaining their diversity and availability for present and future generations, including by preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing.
These instruments are based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Among the legally binding instruments, the FAO Agreement on Port States Measures (PSMA) is the first to specifically target IUU fishing by closing ports to foreign flagged vessels that have been engaged in IUU fishing activities and by keeping IUU caught fish out of the markets. To date, there are 70 Parties to the Agreement, including the European Union with its 27 Member States.
The PSMA will only achieve its objective if it is effectively implemented in all port States around the globe. Over time, FAO members have developed capacities, solutions and partnerships to strengthen implementation, to react to emerging challenges and to make it increasingly difficult and deterrent for IUU fishing operators to continue their illegal operations:
Information is key to make informed decisions leading to the right actions against vessels that have been engaged in IUU fishing. The Parties of the PSMA have agreed to use global tools such as the Global Record providing certified information from flag States on their flagged vessels and their activities and the Global Information Exchange System where information on denials of port entry or use and previous inspection reports are being made available to fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) officers.
Developing coastal States and Small Island Developing States often lack the capacity to effectively implement measures to combat IUU fishing while being at higher risk of being affected by it. This is reflected in the special requirements for developing States in Article 21 of the PSMA. Against this backdrop, FAO launched the Global PSMA Capacity Development Programme to support the implementation of the PSMA, complementary international instruments and regional mechanism and tools to combat IUU fishing. It aims to improve States capacity in terms of policy and legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, as well as monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and operational procedures. To date the Programme has supported 50 countries worldwide.
Preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing requires concerted action by flag, port, coastal and market States. Regional and global networks supporting information-sharing and cooperation among countries increases transparency – and thereby the risk for vessel operators benefitting from IUU fishing activities. Building on their common challenges, learning from each other and developing cooperative solutions strengthens each country's capacity to effectively combat IUU fishing.
The side event aims to showcase solutions and to discuss ways to further strengthen the effective implementation of the PSMA and complementary international instruments to combat IUU fishing. The discussion will be opened with four inputs highlighting challenges and solutions with speakers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Ending Illegal Fishing Project, a country that has strengthened its capacity to effectively fulfil its international obligations as a flag, port, coastal and market State to combat IUU fishing and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).
CPLP is an organization of 9 countries (Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Principe and Timor-Leste) sharing the Portuguese language, “a privileged multilateral forum for the completion of the mutual friendship, political and diplomatic coordination and member cooperation”. FAO and CPLP have a Cooperation Agreement in place since 1999.
