Iceland has ratified the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), an international treaty to stop illegally caught fish from entering the market.
Under the agreement, ports will deny landing and services to vessels involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
The PSMA, adopted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009, is a critical tool in the worldwide fight against illegal fishing. Under the PSMA, participating governments that have turned away illicit catch must alert neighbouring countries that a bad actor may be ‘port shopping’ fish taken illegally.
The treaty will enter into force once 25 governments have ratified it. Iceland has become the 12th to do so, and more countries are likely to follow its lead in the coming months.
According to data from Statistics Iceland, more than 1.3 million metric tons of fish were landed at Iceland’s ports in 2013, placing the small country of just over 300,000 people among the top 20 fishing nations in the world.
“Iceland is a leader in the global fight to end illegal fishing and in promoting sustainable fishing,” said Tony Long, director of ending illegal fishing for The Pew Charitable Trusts. “I applaud the country for helping to stop illegal fishers, who for too long have found ways to route ill-gotten catch through ports around the world. I urge more countries to ratify the PSMA without further delay.”
