Source: FIS.com
Peru will take on the Technical Secretariat of the first Latin American and Caribbean network against illegal fishing thanks to the consensus of the countries involved: Costa Rica, Chile and Panama, and the initiative taken by the General Directorate of Supervision, Inspection and Sanction of the Vice Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Production.
The network was formed within the framework of the workshop on the exchange of experiences on the implementation of the MERP Agreement held in Panama on October 3, 4 and 5.
This network will exchange information and experiences to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in order to make more effective decisions in this field.
The network adheres to the Agreement on Port State Measures (MERP), recognized as the first binding international treaty against IUU fishing, and is a response to the request made by countries under the FAO TCP/RLA Regional Project / 3604, developed in June 2017 in Chile.
The members of the new network will generate a technical cooperation plan among countries in the fight against IUU fishing and invite other countries in the region to participate in this initiative.
In addition, the countries’ focal points will be designated, a capacity-building program will be implemented for inspectors, social awareness experiences on the sustainability of fisheries resources will be shared and a web page will be created for these purposes.
According to FAO, IUU fishing adds up to 26 million tonnes each year and would translate into gains of USD 23 billion.