Port State Measures

In 2010, aware of the powerful and cost effective compliance tool of port State measures to combat IUU fishing activities in the Indian Ocean, the IOTC adopted a resolution on port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing (IOTC Resolution 16/11). The Resolution, which initially entered into force on 1 March 2011, is inspired by the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures but placed in the context of the IOTC mandate. The port State competent authority (fisheries administration) of the coastal CPCs of the IOTC, where foreign vessels offload tuna and tuna like species or call into port to use port services, are responsible for the implementation of the Resolution.

Related downloads:

• List of designated ports, competent authorities and periods of notice (updated 12/05/2023)
• Advance request of entry into port (AREP)
• IOTC Port inspection form
• IOTC - Offloading monitoring form A & B

Understanding PSM – Closing ports to IUU vessels

• IOTC PSM Brochure – Responsibilities of the port States, flag States, the fishing industry and the IOTC Secretariat
• IOTC PSM Brochure – Responsibilities of the fishing industry
• IOTC PSM brochure – National interagency collaboration and regional cooperation

PSM training material

The following materials have been designed by IOTC specifically for PSM training in the IOTC Region:

• IOTC PSM Course Curriculum and Training Program
• IOTC PSM Procedures for the implementation of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Port State Measures
• IOTC PSM Translation Guide
• IOTC PSM Notebook

Guide "Port State Measures – Species identification guide for fisheries inspectors / Mesures du ressort de l’État du port – Guide d’identification des espèces pour les inspecteurs des pêches"

Download the guide in High Definition (For quality printing)   Download the guide in Low Definition

Cards "Port State Measures – Species identification cards for fisheries inspectors / Mesures du ressort de l’État du port – Fiches d’identification des espèces pour les inspecteurs des pêches"

Download the plastic cards

PSM legal assistance

A model PSM regulation has been developed to assist CPCs to transpose the Resolution 16/11 into the domestic legislation:

Model PSM regulation 16/11 (EN)
Model PSM regulation 16/11 (FR)

PSM interagency cooperation at national level

A model MoU on interagency cooperation and a guidelines on best practices for interagency and regional cooperation has been developed to assist CPCs to strengthen cooperation among national agencies implementing PSM at national level:

Guidelines on best practices for interagency cooperation at national level and regional cooperation 2021

Model PSM MoU on national interagency cooperation (EN)
Model PSM MoU on national interagency cooperation (FR)

e-PSM application

Made of three independent modules, the e-PSM application has been designed and developed to facilitate and assist the Contracting Parties and Cooperating non Contracting Parties (CPCs) of the IOTC to implement the IOTC Resolutions related to port State measures (PSM).

Module 1: e-PSM Forms and Processes

The first module, e-PSM forms and processes, is a working and communication platform for the fishing industry, the port State CPCs, the flag State CPCs to implement their responsibilities in terms of Resolution 16/11.  As the first step of the PSM process, this module allows the fishing industry to submit electronically to port State CPCs an advance request for entry into port (AREP) to decide whether to authorise or deny the entry of the vessel into its port and communicate this decision to the vessel or to its representative.

Module 2: e-PSM Library

The second module, e-PSM library, is an information sharing platform to IOTC CPCs where PSM related information can be found, such as:

• Information on designated ports, designated competent authority in each port State CPC and prior notification period established by each CPC,
• e-PSM application user manuals (Industry manual, port State CPCs manual and flag State CPCs manual),
• PSM forms created in the Module 1: advance request of entry into port (AREP) and port inspection reports (PIR) (Restricted access),
• Documents, technical reports, meeting reports, video on various fisheries topics (e.g. tuna fisheries management, fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and port State measures, etc…)
• Internet link to useful internet resources (e.g. vessel movement information, port information, etc…).

Module 3: e-PSM Reporting

The third module, e-PSM reporting, is a reports building tool where reports related to the activities of foreign vessels in its port or activities of its flagged vessels in foreign ports can be generated. This module allows CPCs to generate the mandatory report required by Resolution 05/03 (details of landing of foreign vessels in ports), as well as the mandatory report required by Resolution 21/02 (details of transhipments of flag vessels in foreign ports).

e-PSM manuals

Four manuals have been produced to assist users. They are essential documentation to properly use the e-PSM application.

• User Manual for Vessel representatives (Agents, Masters, Owners, Operators, Beneficial owners)
• User Manual for the Port State Competent Authority
• User Manual for the Flag State Competent Authority
• User manual for non flag State and non port State users

The species referential of the e-PSM application is: species referential

Offline port inspection report (PIR) application for e-PSM (port State CPCs).

The offline PIR application allows port States to handle the whole inspection process digitally, including scheduling of the inspection, completing the inspection report offline during the inspection directly on a tablet, then uploading it when online into the e-PSM application.