Third Meeting of the Parties to the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

Third Meeting of the Parties to the

2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

Opening Remarks by

Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

31 May 2021

 

Honorable EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries,
Distinguished Participants,

1.     I am pleased to open this third Meeting of the Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, the PSMA.

2.     This meeting comes at a timely moment, as the world’s appetite for aquatic food shows no sign of slowing.

3.     FAO’s 2020 State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture clearly illustrates their significant and growing role in providing food, nutrition and employment globally.

4.     Global fish production, for instance, has reached the highest levels ever, providing almost half the world’s population with nearly 20 % of their average animal protein. 

5.     Today, about 10 % of the world’s population depend on the value chain of aquatic products for livelihoods and income. Demand should be met by more sustainable supply from aquaculture.

6.     With this comes great responsibility to manage all aquatic foods sustainably and protect our oceans, rivers and lakes.

7.     Today’s reality is worrisome: from plastic pollution, climate change impacts, habitat degradation and unsustainable fishing practices.

8.     One in every three fish stocks is overfished, mainly in places where management is insufficient. Prevention is most effective measurement to risk management.

9.     In this regard, we need to double the efforts to manage our resources better and to develop aquaculture as an important way to take off the pressure from our oceans and seas.

10.     Sustainable aquaculture is also a practical solution to satisfy the steady increase in demand for healthy food, promote rural development and engage new generations.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

11.     FAO works with its Members on safeguarding the sustainability of their aquatic resources by:

• supporting data collection systems with tools and training;
• assisting in the development of national policies and management instruments;
• helping small-scale fisheries and indigenous peoples get access to resources and markets, and empowering them to be part of the solution; and
• helping to enhance and develop value chains.

 

12.     These steps are all essential in the fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, as are international instruments like PSMA. We need holistic design to eliminate IUU Fishing.

13.     FAO continues to receive and respond to requests from Parties and non-Parties alike, to support their efforts to effectively adhere to and implement the PSMA and complementary international instruments.

14.     To date, we have assisted 43 Member nations to review and align their legislation, strengthen their institutional capacity, and improve their monitoring, control and surveillance systems and operations.

15.     Transparent information exchange and digitalizing are key to boost the effective implementation of the PSMA. Deter should be based on early warning by Big Data sharing information.

16.     FAO – under its new digital initiative – plays an important role in promoting needed technology and innovation, data sharing and novel approaches.

17.     Fisheries and Aquaculture data is integrated in the Geospatial Platform of our flagship Hand-in-Hand Initiative.

18.     We have developed the FAO Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels.

19.     To facilitate information exchange among Member States we developed applications for designating national contact points and national ports for the PSMA.

20.     FAO is now finalizing a prototype of the PSMA Global Information Exchange System to be presented at this meeting.

21.     This digitalized system will turbocharge access to near real-time information exchange and increase transparency.

22.     It will be available to all Parties and will link to existing relevant regional systems.

23.     And we have launched the first-ever global portal for capacity development initiatives.

24.     The portal streamlines synergies, complementarities, coordination and exchanges among relevant programmes, projects, and institutions.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

25.     As we enter the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, a further transformation of the fisheries and aquaculture sector is necessary to enhance its contribution to the SDGs. Development is Golden Key to cut root cause of poverty and hunger.

26.     Blue transformation, intensifying sustainable aquaculture, transforming fisheries through better management and improving the efficiency and inclusiveness of fish value chains, will be critical to end hunger and poverty.

27.     FAO’s new Strategic Framework for the next decade supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.

28.     To achieve these aspirations, the aquatic foods sector has big potential and needs to be fully integrated in our efforts, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

29.     I wish you all productive discussions.

30.     Thank you.