Three UN agencies coordinate implementation of instruments addressing IUU fishing, fishing vessel safety and labour issues
Three agencies of the United Nations contributed to an important workshop aimed at strengthening interagency collaboration on sustainable fisheries, in particular, the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, labour issues on board fishing vessels, and safety standards of fishing vessels.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continued their joint collaboration in this area of work, during an intensive workshop held in Mombasa, Kenya from the 18 to 24 November. This initiative, coordinated by FAO, with strong contributions from ILO and IMO, focused on the implementation of three crucial treaties: the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), the ILO Work in Fishing Convention (C.188), and the IMO Cape Town Agreement (CTA). Kenya has ratified all three treaties.
The workshop brought together the Kenya Fisheries Service, responsible for the implementation of the PSMA, the Kenya Maritime Authority, which is the competent authority for implementing the CTA and the C.188 and which hosted the workshop, alongside experts from the three UN agencies, to review the country’s progress in aligning its legal, institutional and operational frameworks with these international standards.
The workshop also included a field visit to the Liwatoni fishing port, where simulated inspections and interactive discussions took place to explore practical mechanisms for cooperation, evaluating resourcing needs and lay the groundwork for an innovative interagency approach.
The workshop underscored the importance of collective action, supporting sustainable fisheries management in Kenya and contributing towards the planning of a scalable model for other countries seeking to implement these vital treaties effectively.
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