Ukraine has become the latest FAO member to become a party to the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), with the agreement entered into force on 12 March 2025, 30 days after the deposit of its instrument of accession with the Director-General of FAO.
This latest adhesion to the PSMA now takes the number of PSMA Parties to 80. This includes the European Union which acts as one party on behalf of its member states. Effectively, the number of states that are now covered by the agreement has risen to 106. The PSMA entered into force in 2016 with 25 parties.
According to the FAO, the PSMA is the most cost-effective means for States to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It sets minimum standards for parties to follow to restrict fish caught through IUU fishing from entering the national or international markets.
Within the first five years since entry into force of the agreement, a third of PSMA parties had already denied entry or use of port to vessels believed to have engaged in IUU fishing.
FAO is encouraging remaining states to become a party to the PSMA by depositing their instrument of accession, adherence or acceptance with the FAO Director-General.
