Statement of Royal Government on Marine Fisheries Management Key Principles.

This Statement of Statement of Royal Government on Marine Fisheries Management Key Principles is a sectoral policy document based on the vision that the management, conservation and development of sU&tainable fisheries resources that contribute to ensuring future food security, socioeconomic development, and people's livelihoods enhancement and the nation's prosperity. It was prepared to improve the statement of the Royal Government on National Fisheries Policy 2005. The marine fisheries statement incorporates a number of more s1rillgent principles and measures to prevent, deter, and eliminare illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and fishing in and outside the Cambodia's exclwiive economic zone.
To ensure the effectiveness, efficiency and transparency of marine fisheries management, the key principles such as sustainable development, ecosystem approach to fisheries management, good governance, adoption of international best practice and regional cooperation, science-based decision-malking shall be enforced.
The Strategies proposed in the policy document include: 1. In order to ensure sustainable management and conservation of natural resources and applying sound environmental principles, the marine catch will be maintained at 120,000 tonnes/year. To achieve this target, the size and structure of the fishing vessels will be frozen at current levels and may be considered to decline size and structure of the fleet in the future in accordance with the decrease of natural resources. 2. Prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing of both Cambodian and foreign fishing vessels that are operating in Cambodian marine waters through the management of fishing capacity and strengthening of monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), and increased regional cooperation. 3. Manage small-scale fishing through management in fishery domains and co-management of community fisheries management areas; Limit medium-scale and large-scale fishing vessels at current levels (2018) through a system of registration, licensing and may be considered to decline size and structure of the fishing vessels in the future in accordance with the decrease of natural resources. 4. No transportation of fish and fishery products shall be made or transshipped in the Cambodian marine waters, except by special authorization for small-scale operations. The transportation or transshipment of fish and fishery products shall be authorized by the competent fisheries officials. 5. The Government actively supports the restoration of degraded coastal habitats of coral reefs, mangroves and sea-grass beds; The support of management and utilization of Refugia, Marine Protected Areas and Marine Fisheries Management Areas is to conserve and protect critical habitats.