"China joins major treaty to curb illegal fishing" Dialogue Earth, 24 April 2025

China has joined the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) giving efforts to make fisheries sustainable a major boost.

The PSMA is the first legally binding international accord specifically targeting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

It requires signatory states to inspect foreign fishing vessels, verify where they are registered, and deny entry to those suspected of illegal activity.

On 16 April, China became the 82nd party to the PSMA, which the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had brought into force in 2016.

China is pushing domestic fisheries reform in tandem with its PSMA accession. In October 2024, the State Council approved a draft amendment to the Fisheries Law, introducing new legal conditions for foreign-flagged fishing vessels entering Chinese ports.

In addition to introducing regulations for foreign vessels entering Chinese ports, China’s fishing vessels can now be inspected when they enter foreign ports for landing, unloading, or trade, if those countries are also signatories to the agreement.