Source & Author: FIS.com
Through its General Directorate of Supervision, Inspection and Sanction, the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE) has been coordinating joint actions with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in order to adopt measures to help curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
This was informed by the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hector Soldi, who detailed that the actions include the implementation of the Port State Measures (PSMs), which are the requirements established by each State involved and that foreign fishing vessels must comply as conditions for the use of ports.
“National PSMs consist of requirements such as pre-entry notification at the port, restrictions on fish discharge or transhipment, among other measures related to trade and sanctions,” he explained.
Soldi said that the implementation of the PSMs will allow Peru to have a trade in hydrobiological resources at the international level.
“With the implementation of these measures, it will also be possible to avoid the depredation of hydrobiological resources in jurisdictional waters, greater control and sustainable monitoring of fishing in national waters as well as traceability of trade in marine species,” he added.
Soldi reported that illegal fishing, including unauthorized fishing, capturing protected species, using illegal fishing gear and violating quota limits, amounts to up to annual 26 million tonnes of fishing per year, more than 15 per cent of total world production. And he stressed that in addition to economic damage, these activities create risks for local biodiversity and food security in many countries.
He argued that the implementation of the PSMs is relevant because it not only looks at the conservation of the oceans and resource management but also focuses on the people and the fishing communities that depend on these ecosystems.
“Peru is a world fish producer. Therefore, everything that affects this sector will always generate great internal and external problems. The PSM agreement is a valuable tool to comply with the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, to which Peru is committed,” he said.
“As part of this commitment we are working to strengthen the inspection capacity and monitoring activities in the fishing sector. Likewise, new technological equipment is being acquired for the monitoring of national and foreign vessels,” he said.
The deputy minister offered these statements in the framework of the First International Symposium on Port State Measures, organized by PRODUCE General Directorate of Supervision, Inspection and Sanction. The event was attended by exhibitors from Spain, Chile, Mexico, Panama and Ecuador, as well as a representative from FAO in Rome and representatives from FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean.