National Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Marine Fishing (NPOA-IUU) 2020-2024.

The NPOA-IUU outlines a strategy to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, with the dual goals of deterring such activities and addressing the degradation of fisheries resources due to overcapacity and overfishing. The plan follows a three-pronged approach: managing fishing capacity and effort through vessel registration and licensing; ensuring compliance with national and international laws via strengthened Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS); and enhancing cooperation with ASEAN member states. The action plan focuses on several key initiatives: preparing and ratifying international agreements such as the FAO Port State Measures Agreement and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement; continuing the review and amendment of the Fisheries Law along with the development of additional legal documents to support the marine fisheries sector; and creating a comprehensive Marine Fisheries Management Plan. It also includes reviewing and improving port sampling, data collection, and analysis systems, as well as developing a fisheries information system for effective management and policy-making, with data sharing with SEAFDEC, FAO, and RFMOs.
The NPOA-IUU emphasizes Cambodia's responsibilities as a state, coastal state, and flag state, and includes measures to implement port state controls and internationally agreed trade regulations, while also fostering international cooperation. Covering marine fisheries from 2020 to 2024, the action plan introduces various measures to prevent and eliminate IUU fishing, including signing international agreements, revising the fisheries law, managing fishing capacity, strengthening MCS, improving reporting for resource assessments, and formalizing access agreements with Vietnam and Thailand. The plan further aims to survey, register, and license all large-scale, medium-scale, and small-scale fishing vessels. Through collaboration with Thailand and Vietnam, it seeks to enforce the prohibition of foreign fishing in non-disputed Cambodian waters and agree on common fisheries conservation and management measures in overlapping claim areas and historic waters. Additionally, it includes the registration and licensing of vessels and vehicles involved in the transport and export of fish and fish products.
The plan also covers the development and implementation of a National Plan of Control and Inspection for Marine Fisheries, cooperation in conducting a cost-benefit analysis on the potential reopening of an international ship register, and, if viable, the creation of a registration and licensing system for Cambodian-flagged vessels to fish in another state’s waters or the high seas, which would include effective control and inspection mechanisms.Furthermore, the action plan emphasizes the implementation of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement by designating ports and inspection measures, and adapting and trialing the SEAFDEC ASEAN catch documentation scheme.