Panama inspected national flag vessels of international service in countries of Asia, Africa and America in order to counteract illegal fishing.

Between September and December of this year, the Panama Water Resources Authority (ARAP), through the Directorate of Inspection, Surveillance and Control, carried out inspections in various ports of countries such as Suriname, the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, China, Cameroon, Ghana, Congo and Japan.

With surveillance, ARAP tries to ensure that there are effective control controls on fishing vessels of national flag of international service.

This country commitment complies with ADM/ARAP resolution No. 033 of June 20, 2023, which establishes requirements to carry out landing operations, for fishing vessels and related activities.

It is also part of a follow-up of the regulations, in which the conditions to be met are reiterated and reaffirmed, through Technical Circular No. 061-2023, published last August.

In addition to the control controls on international Panamanian flag boats carried out by ARAP personnel, the cooperation and communication ties between the aforementioned countries on continents such as America, Asia and Africa have been strengthened.

As a result of these meetings, it is emphasized that in terms of ports in the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, China and Ghana, information exchange with port and fisheries authorities was achieved.

These are related to the controls they maintain with the process of entering and unloading products from the vessels to their ports.

Likewise, ARAP, through the Directorate of Inspection, Surveillance and Control, highlights that it carried out control and monitoring measures for the fleets that it maintains, in addition to the review, to enforce all required requirements and those policies applied to fishing vessels.

This managed to maintain a fluid and direct communication and exchange of information in the ports of the countries visited.