Cape Town Agreement to Enter into Force in 2027
In 2012, a diplomatic conference held in Cape Town adopted an eponymous agreement establishing international safety standards for fishing vessels.
The Cape Town Agreement incorporates upd ated standards concerning the design, construction and safe operation of fishing vessels that are 24 meters in length and above. These provisions had previously been contained in the 1977 Torremolinos International Convention and its 1993 Protocol, neither of which entered into force.
The signing process began in 2012, followed by accession starting in 2014. The instrument's entry into force is se t to occur 12 months after the date on which at least 22 States, with a total fleet no fewer than 3,600 fishing vessels 24 meters in length and above, consent to being bound by the treaty.
On February 24, 2026, Argentina became the 28th Member State, thereby fulfilling the required conditions. Accordingly, the Cape Town Agreement will enter into force on February 24, 2027.
Although the number of accessions remains relatively limited at present, once the requirements of the Cape Town Agreement become mandatory for Member States, they will have the right to inspect fishing vessels in their ports for compliance with the Agreement’s provisions, irrespective of the vessels’ flag.
Additional information:
Founded in 1913, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is a world-renowned classification society that operates within all spheres of the maritime industry with the goal of improving the operational and environmental safety of marine transportation. RS reviews technical documentation, surveys ships and offshore facilities under construction and in service, certifies vessels and companies for compliance with international conventions, recognizes and certifies industrial products and manufacturers, certifies quality management systems for compliance with international and national standards.
Today, RS is actively expanding its scope of services in the field of engineering and consulting, the development of technical documentation for vessels in service, marine warranty surveys, management system certification and recognition of manufacturers. In addition, RS surveys all container types, including tank containers and offshore containers, confirms compliance of packaging for dangerous goods, as well as renders services on the declaration and certification of dangerous goods and bulk cargoes.
