The Panama Water Resources Authority (ARAP) presented to the European Union (EU) ambassador in Panama, Isabela Matusz, the progress and achievements in the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (INDNR).

During her visit to the ARAP facilities, the diplomat learned firsthand about the country’s efforts to combat this problem. Eduardo Carrasquilla, General Administrator of the ARAP, highlighted the progress made, including the implementation of the figure of the observer on board since October 15 of last year.

“The on-board observer program guarantees the traceability of the transshipments, loading and unloading of fishery products, ensuring accurate data and documenting in real time the processes on the boats,” Carrasquilla explained.

Another significant advance has been the optimization of ports authorized for maritime operations. Previously, Panama had more than 290 ports enabled for the loading and unloading of fishery products, without total control over them.

Currently, the list has been reduced to 92 ports under strict supervision, which strengthens supervision and transparency in fishing activity.

In terms of citizen participation, ARAP has launched the ARAP MOBILE application, a digital tool that allows citizens to report illegal fishing activities quickly and directly.

In addition, the institution is working on the implementation of a fisheries traceability system through software that will control the operations of national fleets, thus strengthening the monitoring mechanisms and compliance with regulations.