Over 90 countries, including more than30 from Africa, have agreed on the language of a new treaty to crack down onillegal and unregulated fishing.
Thetreaty would toughen port security and make it much harder for vessels tounload illegal catches. Its officialname is the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and EliminateIllegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.
DavidDoulman, an official with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's Fisheriesand Aquaculture Department in Rome, says, "It's an attempt to block the entryof illegally caught fish into international markets, so that the perpetratorsof this type of fishing will not be able to benefit?or it will be moredifficult for them to benefit."
Doulmansays the treaty contains straightforward procedures.
"Eachcountry?will designate ports where vessels can enter and vessels will be awareof what's called designated ports. Theneach vessel will have to make an application to enter the port, say 24, 48hours in advance of their arrival," he says.
It'sup to port officials to decide whether to allow a vessel to dock or send itaway.
"Ifthey deny the vessel access, they will have to explain why, provide informationto the flag state, etc., and send the vessel away," he says.
Ifa vessel is allowed entry, it faces close scrutiny.
"Itwill then be subject to inspection and if there is any evidence that the vesselhas been engaged in illegal fishing, then it will also be sent away. And it will be denied access to portservices?refueling, taking on food, water, things like that," he says.
"Let'ssay we're talking about West Africa. Weneed to have all the West African countries on board this agreement in order tomake sure that vessels, if they're denied from entering in one country, justcan't then sail into the next country," he says.
Illegalfishing includes not having a license or not reporting what types of fish havebeen caught when required to do so.
The fishing treaty could be ready forsigning by November. Then 25 countriesneed to ratify it before it can take effect.