INSIDE CAMEROON’S WATERS - IUU fishing and labour rights abuses in Cameroon’s industrial f

This includes, notably, the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA),39 the FAO Compliance Agreement,40 and the FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).41 The UNFSA aims to ensure the sustainable management of fish stocks, the Compliance Agreement promotes compliance with international conservation and management measures, and the PSMA seeks to prevent, deter, and eliminate IUU fishing with robust port c. [...] Cameroon is also not a party to the Cape Town Agreement for the Safety of Fishing Vessels (Cape Town Agreement)42 and to the ILO Work in Fishing Convention (ILO C188),43 which aim to improve the safety and working conditions of fishers and ensure that fishing vessels adhere to rigorous safety standards. [...] To achieve this, EJF recommends that the Government of Cameroon take the following measures: Improve legal and regulatory standards against IUU fishing and labour rights abuses: ● ● A ccede to and implement international instruments relevant to the fight against IUU fishing, including the UNFSA,44 the FAO Compliance Agreement,45 and the PSMA.46 ● ● S ign, ratify and implement the Cape Town Agreeme. [...] 11 Improve transparency in the fisheries sector: ● ● I mplement the principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency,49 focusing as a matter of priority on the following measures: • Refuse to register a vessel in the absence of a genuine link between the vessel and Cameroon (Principle 4); • Require operators to provide information on the vessel’s ultimate beneficial owners when applying. [...] Limit the number of fishing licences and authorisations: ● ● E nsure that the number of fishing licences and authorisations granted to fishing vessels is compatible with the sustainable management of fish populations and the regeneration of marine ecosystems, and commensurate with available MCS capacity.