Cape Town Agreement milestone brings safer seas within reach but transparency must now follow

On Feb. 24, Argentina acceded to the Cape Town Agreement, marking a major breakthrough for global fishing safety and ushering this long-awaited treaty one step closer to reality. Adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2012, the Cape Town Agreement is a big deal: it has the potential to transform safety across the global fleet. From establishing standards for industrial vessel construction to increasing safety standards on fishing vessels, it will become a critical line of defense in protecting fishers in one of the world’s most dangerous professions. 

Indeed, together with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s Port State Measures Agreement and the International Labour Organization’s Work in Fishing Convention, the Cape Town Agreement completes a trio of international instruments designed to promote safe and lawful fishing operations, and stop unscrupulous operators from exploiting gaps in fishing regulations. This is a major achievement for ocean governance and a testament to sustained multilateral cooperation.

But for these agreements to reach their full potential, they must be underpinned by transparency. Building off the navigational requirements outlined in the Cape Town Agreement, authorities must have the ability to know where and when vessels are operating so they can determine whether they are complying with international rules. Without consistent and mandatory vessel tracking requirements, gaps that can be exploited by unscrupulous operators remain, undermining safety, sustainability and fair competition.

The Cape Town Agreement’s entry into force next year provides a clear opportunity for governments to strengthen transparency across the global fleet and close remaining loopholes. Making vessel tracking a universal requirement for industrial fishing vessels would reinforce inspections, support enforcement across jurisdictions and help ensure that the protections envisioned by the Cape Town Agreement are realized in practice.

A safer ocean and a more accountable fishing sector are within reach. Delivering on the promise of the Cape Town Agreement now requires the same collective ambition to make transparency the global norm. A truly safe and sustainable ocean depends on it.