Blue Economy Workshop in La Reunion on IUU fishing - Topic: “Moving toward the development and adoption of IORA Guidelines to prevent entry of IUU fisheries products within IORA MS’s supply chains

France joined the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in 2001 as Dialogue Partner and became Member State in December 2019. The IORA and France through the Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency) (AFD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the 9th of March 2020 for ‘Strengthening the Capacities of IORA in Promoting the Blue Economy and Fisheries Management’.

Among several maritime security threats in the Indian Ocean, Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing is considered one of the most significant.  IUU fishing has significant negative impacts on the sustainable management of fisheries resources leading to losses of government revenue, employment, fisheries value-chains and decreases in food security.

ASEAN has developed in 2015 guidelines preventing entry of IUU fish products into its members supply chain. The IORA Secretariat has been positive about the desirability and possibility of IORA MS to develop and adopt similar guidelines. This workshop will mark the start of a process of considering such guidelines and these will be drafted and adopted in 2022.

The main objective of the workshop is to draw the attention of the IORA MS on the issue of IUU fishing in the IORA region and how the development and adoption of regional Guidelines to prevent entry of IUU fisheries products within IORA MS’s supply chains can be key to contribute to sustainable management of marine fisheries resources

During these two days, the organizers (AFD and IORA) COFREPECHE and the various invited experts will draw the attention of IORA member states to the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU or IUU) in the Indian Ocean region, and how the development and adoption of regional guidelines to reduce the presence of products from this IUU fishing in their supply chains can become a key element of the management sustainable marine resources. Addressing topics such as Monitoring Control and Surveillance, Flag State control or Market State options and measures, several experiences from invited experts as well as representatives of IORA Member States will feed a series of interactive exchanges and online exercises which will ultimately participate in developing a set of updated guidelines to fight IUU in the IORA region.

Participation: By Invitation only

Title: Moving toward the development and adoption of IORA Guidelines to prevent entry of IUU fisheries products within IORA MS’s supply chains

Venue:  virtual workshop

Date:  Wednesday March 23^rd and Thursday March 24^th 2022

Registration: Restricted to the IORA Member States

The workshop will be hosted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with IORA and the AFD and with the support of COFREPECHE. This even will be moderated by Mr. Aubrey Harris, COFREPECHE expert.