FAO is pleased to announce the release of a new and upgraded version of theGlobal Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels (Global Record), five years after its launch.

The Global Record is a tool for States and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to assist them in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by sharing information about vessels and vessel-related activities.

It is a collaborative global initiative to disseminate, through an online portal, certified data from State authorities, enhancing transparency and traceability of fishing operations and products. It supports the effective implementation of international instruments such as the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), facilitating vessel identification and risk-analysis. The Global Record is now connected to the PSMA Global Information Exchange System which contains port denials and inspection reports by the Parties to the PSMA.

The Global Record was first launched in 2017 following a pilot project, the previous year, which saw the participation of eleven countries. The pilot project was the result of recommendations by the Global Record Working Group and guidance by the FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI), and several important steps were taken over various years. The Global Record was rendered public in 2018.

As of today, the details of close to 12 000 fishing or fishing-related vessels from 66 FAO Members have been uploaded to the Global Record. For data to be included, countries ought to nominate a National Focal Point and communicate the details to FAO. The Global Record has a minimum of five essential data fields: the vessel’s Unique Vessel Identifier (UVI) as its International Maritime Organization (IMO) number; its current flag; Length Overall (LOA); the vessel name; and its Gross Tonnage (GT) or Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT). Additional vessel information can be uploaded by the State authority at will.

FAO encourages its Members to familiarize themselves with the new version of the Global Record and to ascertain that data relevant to their vessels are included in the Global Record. FAO stands ready to assist flag States which are to as yet nominate a National Focal Point or those requiring assistance in submitting data. Funds and resources are also available, under FAO’s Global Capacity Development Programme, for those requiring such assistance.

 Contact: [email protected].