Awareness raising
The PSMA Global Capacity Development Programme supports awareness raising efforts including through global, regional and national workshops and seminars. These events provide opportunities to discuss the benefits of acceding to the PSMA, and of the synergies of the PSMA with other complementary instruments, mechanisms and tools that support sustainable fisheries.
Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment regional awareness raising workshops
In 2021, FAO conducted 5 regional workshops to raise awareness about the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment and their contribution to international instruments which support sustainable fisheries, including the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA). A list of updated meetings is available here.
Online global seminars
Several online global seminars were conducted in recent years, to raise awareness about the concerns of IUU fishing and discuss various solutions.
2021 – Webinars to present the PSMA Global Information Exchange System prototype
2020 - The Chatham House 12th International Forum on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
2018 - Webinar: Global thematic session on the Port State Measures Agreement
PSMA regional awareness raising workshops
Earlier, FAO conducted 6 regional workshops for more than 100 countries and other organizations to raise awareness about the PSMA. These workshops, conducted from 2012 to 2016, were key to the entry into force of the PSMA by 5 June 2016. They were held in South East Asia, South Pacific, Caribbean, South America, North West Indian Ocean, Atlantic Coast of Africa, and the Mediterranean and focused on presenting to the countries in the region the basics of the implementation of the PSMA and its benefits, and provided a forum to discuss the main needs and constraints that exist in each region in moving forward.
Mediterranean
Tirana, Albania (29 February – 4 March 2016)
Organized in collaboration with the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean and Black Sea (GFCM).
Sixteen countries from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funded by the Government of Norway.
Atlantic Coast of Africa
Praia, Cabo Verde (20 – 24 July 2015)
Sixteen countries from the Atlantic coast of Africa, national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funded by the Government of Norway.
North West Indian Ocean
Colombo, Sri Lanka (1 – 5 June 2015)
Fifteen countries from the North West Indian Ocean (Somalia to Sri Lanka), national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funded by the Government of Norway.
South America
Montevideo, Uruguay (29 September – 3 October 2014)
Fourteen countries from South America, national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funded by the Government of Norway.
Caribbean
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (24 – 28 March 2014)
Twenty-five countries from the Central America and Caribbean region, national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funding was provided by the Government of Norway.
South Pacific
Nadi, Fiji (9 – 13 September 2013), organized in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
Thirteen island States, national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funded by the FAO regular programme, the Government of the United States of America and the ACP Fish II programme of the European Union.
South East Asia
Bangkok, Thailand (23 – 27 April 2012)
Eight countries, national and international CSOs, intergovernmental organizations participated.
Funded by FAO regular programme, the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).