THE PORT OF VIGO HOSTS THE 4TH EDITION OF THE FAO INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES INSPECTION TRAINING COURSE STARTING TODAY

• The 4th edition of the international fisheries inspection training course has been inaugurated to support the implementation of the "Port State Measures Agreement" (PSMA).
• Seventeen fisheries inspectors and officers from seven Caribbean countries will participate, gaining tools and practices over the next three weeks to apply in their respective countries in their efforts to promote sustainable fishing.
• Carlos Botana advocates for "joint efforts at all levels of control and inspection, from the origin to the destination of products, to contribute to a viable fishing industry that provides livelihoods for those of us living in marine-coastal areas."
• Over 70 inspectors from around the world (Africa, America, etc.) have been trained at the Port of Vigo in recent years to prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The Port of Vigo will host the fourth edition of the FAO international training course on fisheries inspection from today until September 26, 2024. The course supports the implementation of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), aimed at preventing, deterring, and eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

This time, seventeen fisheries inspectors and officers from the Caribbean will participate, learning from international experts and teams from the Xunta de Galicia and the General Secretariat of Fisheries. Over the next three weeks, they will gain tools and practices that fishing ports in their countries can apply to promote sustainable fishing by preventing, deterring, and eliminating IUU fishing.

Carlos Botana, the port's top official, emphasized that "we work in coordination with the relevant administrations," and that "we have launched several projects to strengthen the inspection work carried out with great professionalism, focusing on improving control processes at unloading points and in the fish market." He added, "traceability is a priority for us."

During his address, alongside the Conselleiro do Mar, Alfonso Villares; the Secretary-General of Fisheries, Isabel Artime; the Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency, Susan Steele; and FAO PSMA Secretariat Officer Alicia Mosteiro, Botana stressed the importance of "global and ongoing cooperation." He noted, "only by working together at all levels of control and inspection, from the origin to the destination of products, will we be able to contribute to a sustainable ocean and, therefore, to a viable fishing industry that provides livelihoods for those living in marine-coastal areas."

Additionally, the Port President highlighted the need to embrace new clean energy sources, reduce CO2 emissions, clean the oceans, and adopt a circular economy. The Port of Vigo has been working on this since 2016 under its Blue Growth strategy, moving toward a more sustainable port, committed to the development of its surroundings, its people, and its environment.

However, Botana reminded the audience that "we still have a lot to do." For this reason, he advocated for "joint efforts to learn from other experiences and strengthen alliances to contribute to sustainable fishing, mitigate climate change, and improve the professions and quality of life of all people in our community who depend on fishing and port activities."

In this context, he highlighted FAO's efforts in capacity-building initiatives, such as this course under the PSMA framework, and the launch of a Capacity-Building Program within the Blue Ports Initiative.

"The identification of common interest topics, the involvement of relevant experts, the exchange of best practices, and the creation of tools from these training actions will help all of us continue to advance," Botana emphasized.

In this sense, he noted that the Port of Vigo actively contributes to the PSMA and the Blue Ports Initiative by providing technical and financial resources to help develop these programs. "We are, and will continue to be, supporting FAO's work and the Blue Ports Network, which could be a solution to the major challenges ahead," he concluded.