Illegal Fishing

Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): On November 14, 2011, President Obama submitted to the Senate, for its advice and consent, the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. see this world legal encyclopedia in relation with the year 2009 at 499-500 for background on the agreement. A Media Note issued by the State Department, excerpted below and available at (internet link) state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/11/177154.htm, described the effects and importance of the agreement.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global problem that threatens healthy ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. It undermines the sustainable practices of legitimate fishing operations in the United States, and elsewhere, and presents unfair market competition to sustainable seafood products. An estimated $10 to $23 billion in global value is lost annually due to IUU fishing.

All fish caught commercially at sea must eventually come to port. The Port State Measures Agreement requires nations that are party to the Agreement to take a number of practical steps to deny port entry and access to port services to foreign fishing and transport vessels that have harvested fish in violation of applicable rules or have supported such fishing.

Following calls from Congress to crack down on illegal fishing worldwide, the United States played an active role in the negotiation and adoption of this Agreement at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The United States was among the nations that signed the Agreement when it was adopted in 2009. To date, 22 nations and the European Union have signed the Agreement, and it will take effect once 25 nations have ratified it. Three nations and the European Union have completed their ratification procedures for the Agreement.

The Department of State, along with the Department of Commerce and other interested agencies, looks forward to working with the Senate, with a view to securing advice and consent to ratification of the Agreement. The Administration also looks forward to working with both Houses of Congress on legislation to implement the Agreement.

In his message to the Senate transmitting the Agreement for advice and consent to ratification, President Obama summarized the importance of the Agreement as follows:

The Agreement established, for the first time at the global level, legally binding minimum standards for port states to control port access by foreign fishing vessels, as well as by foreign transport and supply ships that support fishing vessels. The Agreement also encourages Parties to apply similar measures to their own vessels. Involved Federal agencies and stakeholders strongly support the Agreement. The Agreement establishes practical provisions to prevent fish from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fisheries from entering the stream of commerce. If widely ratified and properly implemented, the Agreement will thereby serve as a valuable tool in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing worldwide.

Daily Comp. Pres. Docs., 2011 DCPD No. 00867, p. 1.

Resources

See Also

• Environment
• Transnational Scientific Issues
• Protection Of Environment
• Marine
• Conservation
• Fishing