China Joins International Agreement to Curb Illegal Fishing

The People’s Republic of China is the latest member of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to become a Party to the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA). PSMA is a binding international agreement to specifically target illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

IUU fishing accounts for up to $23 billion worth of seafood annually, or 1 in 5 wild-caught fish, according to the FAO. The Pew Research Foundation said illegal fishing operations harm legal fishing operations and steal food and revenue from coastal communities around the world, many of which rely on healthy fisheries to survive. They also put crews at risk and damage the marine environment because illegal fishers often ignore other laws, such as those governing labor standards and conservation. 

The objective of the PSMA is to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing by preventing vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. This disincentives illegal fishing operations and prevents IUU derived fishery products from reaching national and international markets. The effective implementation of the PSMA ultimately contributes to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources and marine ecosystems.

The provisions of the PSMA apply to fishing vessels seeking entry into a designated port of a State which is different to their flag State. Pew research shows that China has the world’s largest fishing fleet and the top 10 busiest ports in the world. Nearly 100% of port visits are domestic.

However, as Pew points out, “the treaty also contains a critical requirement that Parties investigate their own vessels when wrongdoing is suspected and punish them if it’s confirmed. To date, most countries have focused on implementation as it relates to foreign vessels, which has led to many distant-water fishing vessels returning to domestic ports to avoid PSMA-triggered inspections in foreign ports. China, which has both the largest distant-water and domestic fleets in the world and has approached PSMA adoption very seriously, can help change that narrative.”