The 2012 Cape Town Agreement will enter into force and will become international law in February 2027, closing a longstanding gap in the safety of large fishing vessels.
The treaty sets mandatory safety standards for over 45,000 fishing vessels of 24 metres or more, covering design, construction, equipment, stability, machinery, life-saving appliances, fire protection and communications, according to FAO data.
Its aim is to reduce casualties, improve conditions for crews and support more consistent regulatory compliance.
Argentina became the latest country to accede, with H.E. Mariana Edith Plaza, Argentina’s Ambassador to the UK, depositing the instrument of accession on 24 February 2026 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London.
This brought the total number of Contracting States to 28, representing 3,754 vessels of 24 metres or more. The agreement will enter into force 12 months after at least 22 States, representing 3,600 qualifying vessels, have consented to be bound.
IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, said: “Thousands of fishers lose their lives every year while working to supply the world’s growing appetite for fish and fish products. The 2012 Cape Town Agreement will help protect fishing crews, while safeguarding vessels.”
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Once active, States Parties will incorporate the provisions into national law, flag states will ensure vessels under their registry comply, while Port States will have the right to inspect foreign vessels in their ports to verify compliance.
The treaty also supports efforts to reduce marine plastic pollution from lost or abandoned fishing gear.
The Cape Town Agreement builds on previous IMO work, following the 1977 Torremolinos Convention and 1993 Torremolinos Protocol, both of which never entered into force.
It forms a fourth pillar of fishing vessel safety alongside IMO’s STCW-F Convention on crew training, ILO’s 2007 Work in Fishing Convention and FAO’s 2009 Agreement on Port State Measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The 28 Contracting States now include: Argentina, Belgium, Belize, Congo, Cook Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Japan, Kenya, Namibia, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain and Vanuatu.
For more information:
International Maritime Organization – https://www.imo.org/
