The Third Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, was held in Barbados from 26 to 28 September 2018. The Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (RWG-IUU) Fishing is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and the Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA). A total of 33 experts from 17 WECAFC Members, as well as three inter-governmental organizations, three non-governmental organizations and FAO attended the working group meeting. The working group elaborated recommendations for submission to the WECAFC Scientific Advisory Group on the monitoring and control of transshipment at sea, the application in the region of the technical guidelines on methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the marking of fishing gear.

The fourth meeting of the Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, was held virtually from 8 to 9 September 2020. The Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (RWG-IUU) Fishing is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA). At the meeting, the attendants provided updates on the implementation of the RWG-IUU work plan for 2019–2020 and their efforts in implementing the relevant recommendations that were endorsed at the 17th Session of WECAFC in July 2019. Participants were also informed of the developments at the global and regional levels in the implementation of the Port States Measures Agreement (PSMA) and complementing instruments. La cuarta reunión (virtual) del Grupo de trabajo regional sobre la pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (pesca INDNR), tuvo lugar del 8 al 9 de septiembre de 2020. El Grupo de trabajo regional sobre la pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (GTR-INDNR) es un grupo conjunto de la Comisión de Pesca para el Atlántico Centro-Occidental (COPACO), el Mecanismo Regional de Pesca del Caribe (CRFM) y la Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano (OSPESCA). En la reunión, los asistentes proporcionaron información actualizada sobre la aplicación del plan de trabajo del GTR-INDNR para 2019-2020 y sus esfuerzos en implementar las recomendaciones pertinentes que fueron aprobadas en la decimoséptima sesión de la COPACO en julio de 2019.

During the technical meeting, fishing vessel marking and identification and the establishment of regional IUU vessel lists were approved to facilitate the work of inspectors and other officials in identifying unauthorized crafts.

The Parties discussed the results of the questionnaire for the review and assessment of the effectiveness of the PSMA, agreeing that the questionnaire was a useful tool, whilst noting the need for further improvements. The Parties tasked the FAO to review the questionnaire, and agreed that the questionnaire would be completed every four years. Parties noted that whilst progress has been made in effectively using the PSMA to combat IUU fishing, a number of challenges remain. Parties welcomed the useful information provided by Regional Fishery Bodies (RFBs) related to progress made in the implementation of the PSMA, and agreed that a standardized questionnaire for RFBs is needed. Parties tasked FAO to develop a first draft of this questionnaire. The Parties welcomed the prototype of the global information exchange system (GIES) and agreed that it should enter a pilot phase. They also reiterated the importance of the availability of information related to the national contact points for the PSMA. The Parties expressed the importance of receiving support on the implementation of effective monitoring, control and surveillance, enforcement and the implementation of GIES. The Secretariat announced the launch of the Global Capacity Development Portal. The Parties requested that discussions around developing a strategy to improve the effectiveness of the PSMA be deferred to an ad hoc working group, and approved the terms of reference of the PSMA Strategy Ad Hoc Working Group.

This document contains the report of the third meeting of the Part 6 Working Group established by the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, held in Santiago, Chile, on 7 June 2019. The Part 6 Working Group discussed the Terms of Reference for the funding mechanisms under Part 6 of the PSMA, which were adopted at the Second Meeting of the Parties to the PSMA, and made concrete recommendations for its use to support national and regional efforts to implement the PSMA. The Part 6 Working Group elected Mr Bjarne Garden from Norway and Ms Desri Yanti from Indonesia as the two official representatives from the Parties to join the FAO Secretariat on the panel to review applications and make recommendation on the assistance to be granted under the Part 6 Assistance Fund. The Part 6 Working Group welcomed the proposed design and content of the Global Portal for Capacity Development to combat IUU fishing being developed by FAO, and encouraged FAO to continue its development.

The Parties reviewed the status of the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (“the Agreement” or PSMA) and recalled the decisions of the Third Meeting of the Parties. Progress and challenges in the implementation of the Agreement by Parties were discussed and the important role of regional fisheries bodies (RFBs), in particular regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), in supporting the implementation of the Agreement was highlighted. The Parties agreed on the operationalization of the Global Information Exchange System by the end of 2023 and adopted the Terms of Reference for the Technical Working Group on Information Exchange. The Parties emphasized that assistance to developing States Parties is critical for the effective implementation of the Agreement, and reiterated the need to make the multilateral-partner PSMA Part 6 Trust Fund administered by FAO operational. The Parties adopted A Strategy to Improve the Effectiveness of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (the “Bali Strategy”). The Parties also agreed that the Terms of Reference of the PSMA Strategy ad hoc Working Group be modified to include the task of monitoring the effective implementation of the Agreement. The amended questionnaire for the Parties for the review and assessment of the effectiveness of the PSMA, together with the new questionnaire for RFBs and other international organizations, were adopted. The programme of work was discussed and the Parties agreed on a schedule of PSMA meetings.

The 2018 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture emphasizes the sector’s role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and measurement of progress towards these goals. It notes the particular contributions of inland and small-scale fisheries, and highlights the importance of rights-based governance for equitable and inclusive development. As in past editions, the publication begins with a global analysis of trends in fisheries and aquaculture production, stocks, processing and use, trade and consumption, based on the latest official statistics, along with a review of the status of the world’s fishing fleets and human engagement and governance in the sector. Topics explored in Parts 2 to 4 include aquatic biodiversity; the ecosystem approach to fisheries and to aquaculture; climate change impacts and responses; the sector’s contribution to food security and human nutrition; and issues related to international trade, consumer protection and sustainable value chains. Global developments in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, selected ocean pollution concerns and FAO’s efforts to improve capture fishery data are also discussed. The issue concludes with the outlook for the sector, including projections to 2030. As always, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture aims to provide objective, reliable and up-to- date information to a wide audience, including policy-makers, managers, scientists, stakeholders and indeed all those interested in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.