General statement

Port State measures (PSM) are requirements or actions vessels must follow or undergo to use a country’s ports.

Since 2025, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National Oceanic Resource Management Authority (NORMA) has established PSM Principles and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) under the Fisheries Management Act, subregional and regional obligations, and trade requirements.

As an FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) non-party, FSM is building up capacity to become a party of FAO PSMA. NORMA’s PSM includes requirements related to prior notification of port entry, use of designated ports, restrictions on port entry and port use in terms of landing/transhipment of fish, restrictions on supplies and services, documentation requirements and port inspections, as well as related measures, such as IUU vessel listing, trade-related measures and sanctions.

Operationally, the mandatory notification of a fishing vessel's arrival at an FSM port via FFA’s ePSM system triggers a series of events and requirements that must be understood, managed, and controlled until the vessel departs.

Port Entry

NORMA requires the use of the FFA e-PSM, which facilitates a managed workflow throughout a fishing vessel’s port visit, from the Advance Request for Entry into Port (AREP) through risk assessment, the port entry decision, inspection, the port use decision, port monitoring, and departure clearance.

The system has two roles: one for agents and another for fisheries authorities, including a fisheries PSM focal point and boarding inspectors.

The authorised agents for port entry in FSM are in the following table below

The minimum request time for a vessel not in the WCPFC register is 72 hours.

Vessels not in the WCPFC register are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and port entry is not guaranteed. The port entry analysis is based on the same measures used for vessels whose entry is granted.

For vessels in the FFA Vessels of Good Standing List and the WCPFC Record of Fishing Vessels, the minimum time is 48 hours. Port entry is granted, and the NORMA assessment focuses on port use.

For licensed FVs fishing in FSM waters, the minimum is 24 hours, yet 48 hours is preferable.

Force Majeure and humanitarian reasons are the only exemptions to these time frames

Port Use

The FFA e-PSM facilitates a managed workflow throughout a fishing vessel’s port visit, from the Advance Request for Entry into Port (AREP) through risk assessment, the port entry decision, inspection, the port use decision, port monitoring, and departure clearance.

Every incoming fishing vessel (including FSM-flagged) will undergo a risk assessment that identifies risks in three categories, corresponding to three steps in the analysis.

(i) identity – whether the vessel is who it says it is,

(ii) maneuvering – the vessel’s activity and operations and whether these were accurately reported, and

(iii) licensing – whether the vessel was allowed to operate in its past locations.

NORMA officials will perform risk analyses on fishing vessels to assess the legality of the catch and on carriers' activities not directly related to transhipments.

Vessels Inspection at Port

If necessary, trained fisheries officials board vessels to assess specific risks, armed with detailed information for any investigations they wish to conduct, and knowledgeable about where to gather evidence and about authorising port use based on whether the identified risks or issues have been addressed.

Authorisation to Land and Tranship

NORMA applies the rule that “no fish can leave a donor vessel before officials authorise the transhipment or landing.” 

The details of all information and processes required to support PSM decisions made by NORMA Fisheries Officials are captured in the respective FFA e-PSM file for any vessel requesting port entry

This ensures NORMA's PSM processes are thoroughly documented, making all previous analyses and verifications available to support subsequent PSM activities and decisions at three critical decision points.

Present vessels in port