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 5: Opportunities and challenges in further addressing the impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems and long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks. Closing Session Related Sites and Documents:  Workshop webpage . Watch the (Segment 5 and Closing) Workshop on sustainable fisheries, addressing the impacts of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks! Economic and Social Council

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

This brochure was prepared for the FAO international course on fisheries law, which has been designed to strengthen the capacity of legal practitioners in fisheries to perform their tasks. Under its Global Capacity Development Programme to support the implementation of the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed a Global Training Programme (GTP) to contribute to national, regional, and global efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The GTP encompasses a series of specialized courses built on a number of modules, the details of which are included in the GTP Prospectus. This FAO international course on fisheries law has been designed to provide participants with a sound knowledge of fisheries law, in theory and in practice. It is aimed at government officials from develo...

Training courses topics:   •  Public international law and Law of the Sea (Modules: PIL-101; LOS-102)  • General understanding of the fundamental principles of the public international law. Concepts, definitions and articles under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) relevant to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA). Duration: 4 hours of lectures + 1 hour of practical exercises Fisheries law (Module: FL-101)  • Overview of the international legally binding instruments relating to fisheries and other international binding instruments. Duration: 6 hours of lectures + 1 hour of practical exercises Fisheries management (Module: FM-101) • Objectives and principles of fisheries management, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals relevant to fisheries, management plans, precautionary approach, and technical conservation measures. Duration: 4 hours of lectures + 5 hours of practical exercises Illegal, unreported and unregulate...

The  Compendium of decisions made by the Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures  provides a compilation of currently applicable decisions made by the Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) , an international agreement adopted under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution, which entered into force on 5 June 2016. This compendium is the result of a request by the Parties to the PSMA to have one reference document on decisions made, starting from their first meeting in 2017. This first edition will be updated following every Meeting of the Parties to the PSMA to contain only decisions which are in effect.  Download 

The Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels (Global Record) is a global initiative that primarily involves the compilation of certified information on vessels involved in fishing operations. The main objective is to provide a useful and powerful tool to deter and eliminate illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activities , within the framework of legal instruments available including the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) , making it more difficult for vessels to operate outside the law. An essential element of the programme is the assignment of a Unique Vessel Identifier (UVI) , which remains unchanged throughout the vessel’s lifetime, regardless of change of name, ownership or flag. A programme by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department , the Global Record was supported by FAO member States through the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) as one of the main global tools to fight IUU fishing . Read more about the Global...

The international community has for some time expressed concerns about the risks that transshipment could represent in relation to supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations and other criminal activities. FAO undertook a first global study , which included a questionnaire that was well responded by FAO Members, which concluded that although transshipment might be regulated to some extent, monitoring and control of transshipment activities was generally lacking, creating loopholes. Subsequently, upon the recommendation of COFI, FAO followed with an in-depth global study on transshipment confirming that a lack of regulation, monitoring and control increases the risk of IUU caught fish entering the seafood supply chain , undermining sustainable and socially responsible fisheries. The study also identified the main types of transshipment activities.  A summary of the findings was presented to the thirty-fourth Session of COFI in 2021 , which called upon...

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. It also threatens our economic security and the natural resources that are critical to global food security, and it puts law-abiding fishermen and seafood producers in the United States and abroad at a disadvantage. The Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement (SAFE) Act provides a whole-of-government approach to counter IUU fishing and related threats to maritime security. Section 3551 of the Act requires the establishment of an Interagency Working Group to strengthen maritime security and combat IUU fishing. Combating IUU fishing is a top priority for the United States, and communication, collaboration and strategic coordination will be key in bringing about tangible results. The efforts of the U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing now sit at the heart of our government’s coordination on tackling IUU fishing practices and setting the cond...

Combating IUU fishing  requires inter-agency coordination, particularly through the implementation of relevant international agreements. In this context, the FAO-IMO-ILO ad hoc Joint Working Group on IUU fishing and related matters was established as a result of the call made by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, which met in April 1999, highlighting the issue of flag and port State responsibilities and the need for FAO and IMO to cooperate on solving problems relating to IUU fishing.  Following the decision by the Governing Body of the ILO at its 335th session, the ILO also formally joined in 2019. Specifically, the JWG discusses and makes recommendations to address: IUU fishing; Maritime safety and security; Decent work in the fishing sector; Protection of the marine environment; Capacity development; and other relevant topics.

The Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) entered into force in 2016. Parties meet every two years to discuss and take decisions on its implementation, and identify ways to increase its effectiveness in combating IUU fishing. The Fifth Meeting of the Parties is scheduled to take place from 21 to 25 April, in Manta, Ecuador.