Ensuring the health of our oceans is critical in the fight against climate change, protecting the global economy, and reducing food insecurity. The worldwide export value of fish from developing countries is greater than rice, sugar, and coffee combined. However, Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is damaging important fisheries and critical marine habitats. IUU fishing accounts for more than 20% of all catch in Latin America and generates up to $36 billion per year in illegal profits globally. This interagency partnership targets IUU fishing to promote sustainable management of marine species and ecosystems.
The Partnership for Sustainably Managed Fisheries is a joint interagency agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United State Agency for International Development (USAID). The partnership aims to support the governments of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to: 1) Effectively enforce domestic fisheries regulations and international fisheries agreements, 2) Document and share relevant information across government agencies and with neighboring countries, and 3) Develop and implement plans to sustainably manage economically and ecologically important species and/or coastal and marine areas.
HOW DOES THE ACTIVITY WORK?
The Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) is a binding international agreement which prevents vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. This interagency partnership is building the capacity of authorized fisheries and enforcement agencies in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia to implement the operational requirements under the PSMA by training officials to better conduct thorough fisheries inspections of foreign-flagged fishing and fishing-support vessels.
The partnership is also working to enhance data collection and information sharing within governments and other important actors across the region to help them develop and enforce fisheries management regulations and improve their management of environmentally and economically important species and/or areas. NOAA will build the capacity of fisheries management agencies in each country to develop and implement fisheries management plans and relevant regulations focusing on approaches such as the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.
