Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) is an international fisheries agreement between several nations signed in Rome on 7 July 2006 and entered into force on 21 June 2012.[1] The purpose of the agreement is to ensure and promote the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources in the area through cooperation among the member states.
 Logo of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement | |
| Abbreviation | SIOFA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 21 June 2012 |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization |
| Purpose | Fisheries management |
| Headquarters | Réunion |
Area served | Indian Ocean |
| Membership | 10 Contracting Parties |
Executive Secretary | Jon Lansley |
| Website | www |
Treaty area
editThe agreement area covers the high seas between eastern Africa and Western Australia.[2] SIOFA is adjacent to the convention area of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in the south, the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) convention area in the east and the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO) convention area to the west.[2]
SIOFA covers fishery resources including fish, mollusks, crustaceans and other sedentary species within the area, though excludes highly migratory species and sedentary species subject to the fishery jurisdiction of coastal States. SIOFA also manages valuable fisheries, including for orange roughy, alfonsino and toothfish.[2]
Signatories
editAs of December 2024, the treaty has been ratified by 13 states.[3][4]
In addition, 4 countries have signed but not ratified the treaty.
| Contracting Parties | Cooperating non Contracting Parties | Participating Fishing Entity | Signed but not ratified by |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia
|
 Comoros
|
 Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) |
 Kenya
|
 China
|
 India
|
 Madagascar
| |
 Cook Islands
|
 Mozambique
| ||
 European Union
|
 New Zealand
| ||
 France (for its Indian Ocean territories)
|
|||
 Japan
|
|||
 South Korea
|
|||
 Mauritius
|
|||
 Seychelles
|
|||
 Thailand
|
Secretariat
editThe Secretariat is based on the French Island of Réunion, specifically in the city of Le Port (formerly St Denis). The current Executive Secretary is Thierry Clot.[5]
References
edit- ^ "Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)". www.siofa.org. SIOFA.
- ^ a b c Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement
- ^ "SIOFA Parties and participants". SIOFA. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ News Agency, Central. "Taiwan joins Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ "Contact - SIOFA". www.siofa.org. Retrieved 1 July 2017.