Officials from around the world met in Rome this week to mark ten years of a special fishing treaty. The agreement helps countries stop illegal fishing boats from using their ports to land their catch. It now has 86 parties, and nearly three quarters of coastal states follow its rules. Under the treaty, ports check foreign vessels before they can enter, so illegal seafood cannot reach markets easily.
The Food and Agriculture Organization says more than 22,000 inspections take place every year in about 700 ports. The meeting also opened a week of talks on the future of world fisheries. Fish farming and fishing together produced a record 235 million tonnes of food in 2024. The sector supports more than 600 million people, so leaders want it to grow in a sustainable way.