The Fifth Meeting of the Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) was held in Manta, Ecuador, from April 21 to 25. A Chinese delegation, composed of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Shanghai Ocean University, attended the meeting. This marks China’s first participation in a PSMA meeting as a contracting party.
During the meeting, the PSMA Secretariat and participating countries highly commended China’s accession to the PSMA, stating that China injects strong momentum into global efforts to conserve marine resources and promote sustainable fisheries. The Chinese side presented its position and measures on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, as well as its preparatory work for effectively implementing the PSMA. It also actively engaged in consultations on the PSMA’s global information exchange system, implementation and monitoring of the PSMA, and capacity-building support for developing countries, among other issues. The Chinese side stated that China, as a new contracting party, is ready to work hand in hand with all parties to continuously build consensus and actively fulfill its responsibilities as a port state, flag state, and market state. It pledged to make greater contributions to the effective enforcement of the PSMA, the establishment of a fair and equitable international fishery governance framework, and the advancement of global sustainable fisheries.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Chinese side held talks with the PSMA Secretariat and representatives from other countries to discuss information exchange under the PSMA, enhancing bilateral fishery cooperation, and mutual support in multilateral arenas. The meeting brought together 115 participants from 60 countries, regions, economies, and relevant international and regional organizations.
