State parties to the 2012 Cape Town Agreement will start implementing the global treaty on safety standards for fishing vessels next year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced.

The Agreement sets minimum requirements on the design, construction, equipment and inspection of 45,000 fishing vessels of 24 meters in length and over or equivalent in gross tons. It empowers port States to carry out safety inspections to help prevent casualties, improve working conditions for fishers, enhance competitiveness and protect the marine environment. 

Fishing is one of the most dangerous professions in the world, with thousands of fishers estimated to lose their lives every year. There are an estimated 4.6 million fishing vessels in operation around the world.

Welcoming the milestone, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “The 2012 Cape Town Agreement will help protect fishing crews, while safeguarding vessels.” 

The first step to implementing the treaty is for state parties to incorporate the provisions of the Agreement into a national law and enforce it as they would any other legislation. Flag States must ensure that vessels under their registries comply.

Beyond safety, the Agreement is also expected to support the reduction of marine plastic pollution from abandoned or lost fishing gear. 

The 2012 Cape Town Agreement is the culmination of decades of work by IMO, building on earlier international instruments that did not enter into force, including the 1977 Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels and the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol.

Parties to the treaty are Argentina, Belgium, Belize, Congo, Cook Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Japan, Kenya, Namibia, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain and Vanuatu. 

The Philippines, an archipelagic country, to date, is not a signatory to the treaty. The Maritime Industry Authority was asked why the country is not part of the Agreement, but it has yet to answer as of press time.