The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing officially came into effect for China on April 16. This marks an important step forward for China in continuously cracking down on illegal fishing and protecting marine fishery resources. This was learned by the reporter at a press conference held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the 16th. The Port State Measures Agreement, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is the most important international instrument in global fisheries governance and combating illegal fishing in recent years. It aims to effectively implement port State measures to prevent illegally caught fish from entering international and domestic markets through ports, ensuring the long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources and marine ecosystems. This accession to the agreement means that China will take on more international responsibilities in fisheries management Liu Xinzhong, Director of the Fisheries and Fishery Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, explained that fishing vessels landing or entering ports in China will be subject to supervision in accordance with the measures stipulated in the agreement. At the same time, as the flag state, Chinese fishing vessels entering other countries or economies must also comply with the provisions of the agreement and accept relevant inspections for landing, unloading, and trading. In addition, it is necessary to participate in the improvement, enhancement, popularization, and implementation of the agreement. Liu Xinzhong stated that joining the agreement will be beneficial for China to deepen its participation in international fisheries governance, crack down on illegal fishing, protect marine fisheries resources, enhance port management, improve the entire chain supervision system, promote the modernization of the fisheries industry, and facilitate high-level opening-up. The implementation of the agreement is a systematic project that requires higher and updated coordination and regulatory enforcement capabilities across departments. Liu Xinzhong stated that in order to ensure the implementation of this work, a coordination mechanism has been established at both the central and local levels. Next, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will carry out special law enforcement actions, deploy supervision and inspection of foreign vessels involved in fishing, and hold law enforcement training in the near future to further enhance compliance capabilities. We will also coordinate the relevant forces of universities and directly affiliated institutions, participate in the review, evaluation, and subsequent rule negotiations of the agreement, and provide legal, technical, and other support and guarantees for the implementation of the agreement. (New Society)