ROME — A landmark treaty aimed at denying port access to foreign boats engaged in illegal fishing has been signed by the United States and a host of other nations, as well as the EU, the UN said Wednesday.
Ichiro Nomura, assistant director-general of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation's Fisheries Department, called it the most significant international fishing treaty since 1995.
It marks the first time countries will be called upon to deny foreign fishing boats access to their ports if they are found to have engaged in illegal fishing.
Responsibility for the boats has primarily been with the countries granting them permission to fly their flags.
"It's a milestone achievement," Nomura said. "No longer will we solely rely on the ability of fishing nations to monitor behaviour by vessels flying their flags on the open waters of the oceans.
"Now countries are committing to taking steps to identify, report and deny entry to offenders at ports where fishing fleets are received. That's a key back-door that will be slammed shut with the new international treaty."
The FAO's governing body has approved the treaty and 11 members have signed it, the organisation said.
They are: Angola, Brazil, Chile, the European Commission, Indonesia, Iceland, Norway, Samoa, Sierra Leone, the United States and Uruguay.
It will take effect once 25 countries have ratified it.
The FAO said foreign fishing vessels wishing to dock will be required to request permission from ports ahead of time, transmitting information on their activities and the fish they have on board.
That provides authorities an opportunity to spot any red flags in advance, it said. Port states will also conduct regular inspections of ships according to a common set of standards.
When a vessel is denied access, port states must communicate that information publicly and national authorities of the country whose flag the vessel is flying must take follow-up action, the FAO said.
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