With Gambia's ratification yesterday, the required 25 nations have now signed. Hence, the treaty will enter into force in 30 days from yesterday. Only a few months ago I wrote about the fast pace ratification was taking.
A ray of light in the dark skies
This is big news. Fish does not become illegal trough processing but is rather caught illegally and then landed illegally. Stronger port controls will leave IUU fishers with fewer places to land and sell their catch. This, in consequence, will greatly reduce illegal fishing around the world.
Now for the difficult challenge of implementation on a global scale, most of the ratifiers are minnows, with a few honorable exemptions.
Only when countries with big import markets such as Japan, Taiwan, and China also become a party, then meaningful change and improved traceability would be achieved. (Taiwan can't reality... because is not a UN member)
In any case is a big step... in a very long road.
My friend and colleague Pramod Ganapathiraju explains here where we are at with the PSMA