Address navigational hazards and marine pollution problems caused by abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear is among a series of recommendations considered by a working group on Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/IMO working group, meeting at IMO Headquarters (16-18 November), also recommended continued efforts to support and facilitate the entry into force of IMO’s 2012 Cape Town agreement on fishing vessel safety, as well as the FAO’s Port State Measures Agreement.
It also proposed that FAO and IMO consider developing international guidelines on marking fishing gear and suggested considering further expansion of the IMO Ship Identification Number Scheme with a view to achieving phase 1 of the Global Record for Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels, while exploring potential future expansion of the scheme to fishing vessels of less than 100 GT.
Recommendations from the joint group will be forwarded to IMO’s Maritime Safety and Marine Environment Protection Committees and the FAO Committee on Fisheries. Representatives of 26 States participated, as well the Secretariats of IMO, FAO, the International Labour Organization and several other stakeholders.
Source & Image Credit: IMO
