International Day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing

In accordance with paragraph 244 of General Assembly resolution 80/109 of 9 December 2025, a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop on measures taken by States and regional fisheries management organizations to address the impact of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks will be held in-person at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 14 July 2026. Segment 3: Progress made by States in addressing the impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks, in particular through the implementation of relevant paragraphs of resolutions 64/72, 66/68 and 77/118. Segment 4: Focus on the experience and the special requirements of developing States in addressing the impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks, in particular through the implementation of relevant paragraphs of resolutions...

   In accordance with paragraph 244 of General Assembly resolution 80/109 of 9 December 2025, a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop on measures taken by States and regional fisheries management organizations to address the impact of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks will be held in-person at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 14 July 2026. Segment 2: Progress made by regional fisheries management organisations and arrangements in addressing the impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks, in particular through the implementation of relevant paragraphs of resolutions 64/72, 66/68 and 77/118. Related Sites and Documents:  Workshop webpage . Watch (Segment 2) Workshop on sustainable fisheries, addressing the impacts of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stock...

In accordance with paragraph 244 of General Assembly resolution 80/109 of 9 December 2025, a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop on measures taken by States and regional fisheries management organizations to address the impact of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks will be held in-person at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 14 July 2026. Opening: Adoption of Agenda, Adoption of Organization of Work. Segment 1: Impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks. Related Sites and Documents:  Workshop webpage . Watch the (Opening, Segment 1) Workshop on sustainable fisheries, addressing the impacts of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks! Meetings & Events

IUU fishing is a persistent and pervasive problem that undermines effective fisheries management and runs counter to sustainable fisheries. Understanding the types and magnitude of IUU fishing is a critical first step to combating it. This helps countries to be aware of the economic, environmental and social impacts of the problem, to draw attention to it, and to encourage the political will needed to fight it. Quantifying IUU fishing is not an easy task, due to the quality and quantity of existing data which vary significantly from fishery to fishery . In some cases, it can be very difficult to make precise estimates that can be compared over time. The most frequently quoted estimates of IUU fishing are based on a paper published in 2009. Following this publication, FAO commissioned a review of IUU fishing studies, in order to compare their strengths and methodologies, and to determine whether FAO should work to provide guidance for the future estimation of IUU fishing. The thirty-...

Efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing have received a boost from the People's Republic of China, the world’s largest capture fisheries producer, which has become the 108th State to join the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) . The PSMA supports sustainable fisheries by ensuring that only legal, regulated and reported fish catches are landed in ports and eventually traded . It does this by enabling Parties to deny port entry or use of port to foreign vessels suspected of engaging in IUU fishing , thereby preventing catches from such illicit practices from reaching markets and consumers. “China’s accession to the PSMA is a milestone in the global effort towards responsible governance and sustainable development of fisheries,” said QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). “This step reflects the growing stro...

The Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas (The Compliance Agreement), aims to enhance the role of flag States and ensure that a State strengthens its control over its vessels to ensure compliance with international conservation and management measures . It notes the special responsibility of flag States to ensure that none of their vessels are fishing on the high seas unless authorized, and that they can effectively exercise their responsibilities to ensure their vessels comply with international measures. This is the second edition of the original publication, with the inclusion of a sixth FAO official language in one multilingual version. No changes in the main text have been carried out. Download PDF . Agreement to promote compliance with international conservation and management measures by fishing vessels on the high seas