The safety of fishers and fishing vessels forms an integral part of IMO’s mandate; however, the fishing industry, from a global perspective, does not have an acceptable safety record and, while there may be a number of factors that have contributed to this, there can be no doubt that the lack of an effective internationally binding regulatory regime has played a significant part in the status quo. The Cape Town Agreement of 2012 was a renewed commitment for the provisions of the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol to come into force and is expected to play an important part in improving safety standards and reducing the loss of life in the fisheries sector.