Cambodia became a party to the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) on November 11, 2019. The PSMA is a legally binding international agreement from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designed to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The agreement's core purpose is to prevent vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports to land or transship their catch, thereby blocking illegally caught fish from entering national and international markets. Cambodia's decision to join the PSMA was a crucial step in its efforts to address IUU fishing.

Parties to the PSMA: Could be found here.

To implement the PSMA, Cambodia's Fisheries Administration (FiA) has been working to build its capacity for monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS). This involves training government officials on standard operating procedures for PSMA, especially for foreign fishing vessels seeking to enter Cambodian ports. A key part of this process includes designating a primary PSMA port, such as the port of Oknha Ly Yong Phat in Koh Kong province, with support from FAO. This commitment demonstrates Cambodia's intent to strengthen its fisheries management and contribute to the global fight against IUU fishing.

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