Indonesia is being supported by the International Maritime Organization on the steps needed to accede to the key fishing vessel safety treaty: the 2012 Cape Town Agreement (CTA). A national consultation visit held in Bali (24-28 June) took place, at the request of Indonesia, to provide expert legal and technical assistance to support the State's accession process and ensure effective compliance and implementation.
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic State, with over 17,500 islands, and with 40% of its population relying on fisheries for their livelihood. This highlights the importance of the Cape Town Agreement - which will set minimum standards for fishing vessel safety - for protecting fishing vessel personnel in the country's fishing fleet, and onboard foreign fishing vessels where their nationals may be employed or calling at their ports.
The consultation visit was organized by IMO, the Ministry of Transportation of Indonesia and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia, with the support of The Pew Charitable Trusts, S&P Global and Indonesia Tuna Longline Association. The attendants also visited the fishing port of Benoa.
The visit included the conducting of a gap analysis of existing legislation and safety requirements and developing an outline of capacity-building needs. The benefits of the Cape Town Agreement were explained in detail to both public and private stakeholders in Indonesia's fishing sector.
Indonesia has already begun the accession process through a Presential Decree. Once this is completed, Indonesia plans to host a regional workshop, in collaboration with IMO, to share its experiences and guide to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region which may be considering accession to the Cape Town Agreement, which would be expected to have its entry into force criteria fulfilled.
The Cape Town Agreement, once in force, will ensure global regulation of safety standards for large industrial fishing vessels across the world, and those working on board. A crucial milestone was reached in October 2023, with the number of parties to the CTA reaching 22, thus fulfilling one of the two required criteria for the entry into force of the Agreement. The second condition - that the States which are Parties to the treaty must have an aggregate of at least 3,600 fishing vessels of 24 metres and over authorized to operate on the high seas - is yet to be met. The Agreement will enter into force 12 months after the date on which both requirements have been satisfied
Participants involved in the Indonesia consultation visit included representatives from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Coordinating Maritime and Investment, port authorities within the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, fishing industries, fishing associations and training institutions.
