- 6 new States have committed to ratifying the Cape Town Agreement of the International Maritime Organization (IMO): Kenya, Ghana, Ireland, Portugal, Japan and the Republic of Korea, bringing the total number of states parties to 22.
The Cape Town Agreement aims to establish a worldwide safety regime on board fishing vessels, through compliance with safety standards relating to vessel construction and equipment (ventilation of engine rooms and electrical installations, fire safety and emergency procedures). The entry into force of this Agreement will make it easier for States to deter illegal fishing activities, identify and inspect vessels operating outside the law, and ensure safe working conditions for crews.
As of today, 21 States have ratified the Cape Town Agreement, accounting for some 2,600 fishing vessels. It will come into force when 22 States, with a combined fleet of at least 3,600 fishing vessels, have ratified it.
- 2 new countries have ratified the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Mexico and Morocco, bringing the total of member-countries to 76. A minimum of 10 additional States are expected to ratify the Agreement by 2025.
The PSMA, which was approved by the FAO Conference in 2009 and came into force in 2016, is the first binding international agreement to specifically target illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Its aim is to combat IUU fishing by ensuring not only that fish caught through IUU fishing is not sold on national and international markets, but also that other states, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and relevant international organizations are also informed of the incident.
- Several European Union member states have committed to mobilizing their navies for missions abroad to step up surveillance of illegal fishing, in application of the 2008 European regulation: Spain, Italy, Denmark and Portugal.