Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a serious threat to fishery sustainability policies and to marine resources more broadly. The International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU) calls upon states to develop their own national plans of action (NPOAs) to address flag state responsibilities, coastal, port and market state measures, and the role of Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) in the implementation of the NPOA. 

In 2017, the GFCM adopted its regional plan of action to combat IUU fishing (RPOA-IUU). This establishes a clear link between the implementation of the IPOA-IUU, existing NPOAs and any corresponding national measures against IUU fishing. The RPOA-IUU provides guidance to Contracting and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties on how to effectively combat IUU fishing through their national frameworks, while harmonizing measures in place across the region.