The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency (CFT) has welcomed the UK’s ratification of the International Maritime Organization’s Cape Town Agreement, describing the move as a major step forward for safety, fisheries transparency and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The UK is the first country to ratify the agreement since it achieved full ratification status in February 2026. The treaty establishes global minimum safety standards for commercial fishing vessels measuring 24 metres and above operating on the high seas, covering areas including vessel stability, fire protection, emergency procedures, life-saving equipment and radio communications.

CFT Principle8_UK achievement

Source: CFT

The UK has ratified the Cape Town Agreement, strengthening safety, fisheries transparency and anti-IUU fishing enforcement

The ratification comes shortly after National Fishing Remembrance Day 2026, which commemorates fishers who have lost their lives at sea. The United Nations has long identified fishing as one of the world’s most dangerous professions, with an estimated 100,000 deaths occurring annually in the global fishing sector.

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Vivien Deloge, UK coordinator of the Coalition for Fisheries Transparency, said: “The UK has now ratified all three treaties aiming to fight IUU fishing. By doing so, it has successfully achieved Principle 8 of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency on the international IUU treaty framework.”

“I commend the UK for its ratification as an act of international solidarity, highlighting the need for global minimum safety standards for the benefits of all fishers worldwide,” she added.

The agreement also strengthens international oversight by allowing countries to inspect foreign-flagged fishing vessels, even where the vessel’s flag state has not ratified the treaty.

Ambassador Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, said the UK’s decision demonstrated ‘international momentum for ocean action in general, and fisher safety at sea in particular’.

Lord Robin Teverson described the ratification as ‘a strong signal that the lives of every fisher worldwide matter’, while Chris Williams of the International Transport Workers’ Federation said stronger regulation and transparency were essential to safeguard lives and tackle illegal fishing.

The Cape Town Agreement is scheduled to enter into force in February 2027.

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