The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention while providing very little on port State jurisdiction paves the way towards developing port state measures for combating IUU fishing. Besides these provisions, other international instruments conventions concerning namely marine pollution, navigation and safety at sea are and will continue to be of enormous importance in crafting port State measures, at national, regional and global level. In the paper the author has sought to bring several sources together so as to give an initial overview of the complex framework of law and of the major developments that have allowed putting forward and considering possible elements of a Memorandum of Understanding on port State measures for combating IUU fishing. Inevitably the discussions must go on to support the effective development of such instrument, as appropriate, within one or more RFMOs.
