Australia takes action against illegal fishing

The Australian Government has ratified the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's Port State Measures Agreement (the Agreement).

The Agreement commits all parties to act against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which has a serious economic and environmental impact in Australian and international waters.

All parties to the Agreement are required to take action against vessels and operators suspected of IUU fishing, denying entry into ports and preventing access to markets for illegally caught fish.

IUU fishing is a threat to the sustainability of our fisheries and threatens food security on a global scale as well as the viability of domestic fishers. This agreement will help protect the livelihoods of legitimate, sustainable operators and people who depend on the industry.

The agreement complements the work we are doing with our Southeast Asian partners to share information about known IUU operators including trade routes and vessels. This has led to the detention of a number of IUU vessels that have tried to enter Asian ports.

We will continue to work with our international partners in the fight against IUU fishing.