Nguyen Viet Manh, Deputy Director of the MARD International Cooperation Department, said the treaty is expected to be approved at a FAO World Food Summit in Rome in mid-November, and will go into force 30 days after it is ratified by 25 states.

It will be the first ever global treaty to fight illegal fishing, seeking to shut ports to rogue vessels plundering the seas.

Under the terms of the agreement, foreign vessels will have to request permission in advance to dock at specially designated ports and will have to provide information on their catch. 

Signatories will be committed to regularly inspecting fishing vessels in their ports according to a set of international standards.