The Pew Environment Group on Monday called on countries to ratify and implement a treaty the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization recently adopted to fight illegal fishing.
Called the Agreement of Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, the treaty specifies minimum inspection standards and forces port states to prohibit entry to illegal fishing vessels.
"Governments must immediately start to crack down on illegal fishing and refuse port entry to those responsible," said Stefan Flothmann, director of Pew Environment Group's International Ocean Governance. "Ratifying and implementing the treaty is critical to end illegal fishing."
The treaty is now open for signature, and several countries already signed it at yesterday's meeting. The agreement will be enacted after 25 countries ratified it.
"The illegal fishing crisis is such that we cannot afford to wait for this treaty to enter into force," said Flothmann. "Port states should begin to implement the treaty's standards individually and as members to Regional Fisheries Management Organizations to prevent further damage to the marine environment and the livelihood of legitimate fishermen."
November 23, 2009
