FAO supports prevention, deterrence and elimination of IUU fishing in Sri Lanka

Group of trainers and trainees at the Port State Measures Agreement workshop

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development conducted a training of trainers workshop on the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) and inspection from 30 January to 3 February under the FAO project ‘Capacity building to prevent, deter and eliminate Illegal, unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

The training workshop, facilitated by Robert Lee, international PSMA consultant and Pio Manoa of the FAO Legal Division, was attended by 24 officers from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development.  The workshop was on Port Inspection of Fishing Vessels under the Port State Measures Agreement. The trainees followed the Port inspection of fishing vessels training course developed by the Asia Pacific Fisheries Commission, of which Sri Lanka is a Member. 

This course is presented in 10 modules and after each module a practical session was carried out which encouraged trainees to debate and ask questions from the trainers. The trainees were educated on perfecting the inspection forms, investigative interview methods, how to calculate fish quantities and also on the inspection of logbooks, etc. IUU fishing is a global problem that threatens the ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. It contributes to overfishing and the depletion of fish stocks, undermines sustainable fisheries management and distorts market competition, and results in missed public revenue. 

IUU is frequently associated with national transnational organised criminal activities. In October 2014, the European Commission identified Sri Lanka as a non-cooperating third country on the basis that Sri Lanka was not taking sufficient action to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing and imposed a ban on the importation of raw and processed fish from Sri Lanka to the EU. However, the Red Card was lifted in the first half of 2016 in recognition of the efforts made by the Government of Sri Lanka to address the challenges. 

“The lifting of the Red Card is an indication of the important efforts made by the Government of Sri Lanka to meet its commitments on IUU. The technical training provided by FAO is supporting the staff of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development to strengthen the capacities to implement international law obligations to deter IUU fishing,” said Nina Brandstrup, FAO Representative for Sri Lanka.