During a ceremony held aboard the training vessel Intermares.
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has awarded Spain a recognition medal for its commitment to implementing the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).
The PSMA is the first legally binding international treaty specifically aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It entered into force in 2016 and was adopted under the auspices of the FAO.
The award was received by Isabel Artime, Secretary General for Fisheries, during the opening ceremony of the second edition of the International Course on Fisheries Law Enforcement.
Organized by the FAO and Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the course is delivered by FAO experts, national authorities, and invited speakers aboard the fisheries training and cooperation vessel Intermares in Vigo.
"We see this medal not only as recognition of the work carried out by Spain over these years, but also as a reflection of our country’s leading role in building a strong and coordinated international response against illegal fishing," said Artime.
The Intermares operates as a floating training center specialized in fisheries education and international cooperation. It is equipped with classrooms, workshops, meeting rooms, laboratories, and accommodation facilities, providing an ideal environment for training programs.
During the event, the Secretary General for Fisheries inaugurated the second edition of the training course, attended by around 20 fisheries officials from Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Equatorial Guinea.
Regarding this, she said: "I am confident that this will be a mutual learning experience and that each of you will help enrich this space for training and cooperation."
The course will focus on strengthening participants' knowledge of fisheries legislation, enforcement, monitoring, and governance, while supporting the implementation of the PSMA and enhancing international cooperation to combat IUU fishing.
