Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2017 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1936/2001, (EC) No 1984/2003 and (EC) No 520/2007
Modified by
- Regulation (EU) 2019/1154 of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 20 June 2019on a multiannual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 and Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council, 32019R1154, July 12, 2019
- Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 13 September 2023establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, amending Regulations (EC) No 1936/2001, (EU) 2017/2107, and (EU) 2019/833 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2016/1627, 32023R2053, September 27, 2023
- Regulation (EU) 2024/897 of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 13 March 2024amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, 32024R0897, March 19, 2024
(a) Union fishing vessels, and Union vessels engaged in recreational fisheries, which operate in the ICCAT Convention area and, in the case of transhipments, also outside the ICCAT Convention area if they tranship species caught in that area; (b) third country vessels which are inspected in Member States ports and which carry ICCAT species or fishery products originating from such species that have not been previously landed or transhipped at ports; (c) third country fishing vessels and third country vessels engaged in recreational fisheries which operate in Union waters.
(1) "ICCAT species" means species listed in Annex I; (2) "tropical tuna" means bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and skipjack tuna; (2a) "billfish" means species of the Istiophoridae family managed by ICCAT;(3) "fishing vessel" means any vessel equipped for commercial exploitation of marine biological resources or a bluefin tuna trap; (4) "catching vessel" means a fishing vessel used for the purpose of the capture of marine biological resources; (5) "Union fishing vessel" means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union; (6) "fishing authorisation" means an authorisation issued in respect of a Union fishing vessel entitling it to carry out specific fishing activities during a specified period, in a given area or for a given fishery under specific conditions; (7) "special fishing authorisation" means an authorisation issued in respect of a Union fishing vessel entitling it to carry out specific fishing activities with specific gear during a specified period, in a given area or for a given fishery under specific conditions; (8) "transhipment" means the unloading of all or any fisheries products on board a vessel to another vessel; (9) "recreational fishery" means non-commercial fishing activities exploiting marine biological resources for recreation, tourism or sport; (10) "Task I data" means data defined as Task I by ICCAT in the "Field manual for statistics and sampling Atlantic tunas and tuna-like fish"; (11) "Task II data" means data defined as Task II by ICCAT in the "Field manual for statistics and sampling Atlantic tunas and tuna-like fish"; (12) "CPC" means contracting parties to the ICCAT Convention and cooperating non-contracting parties, entities or fishing entities; (13) "ICCAT Convention area" means all waters of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas; (14) "sustainable fisheries partnership agreement" means an international agreement as defined in point 37 of Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; (15) "vessel length" means the distance measured in a straight line between the foremost point of the bow and the aftermost point of the stern; (16) "large-scale pelagic longline vessel" means a pelagic longline vessel greater than 24 metres in length overall; (17) "large-scale fishing vessel" means a fishing vessel greater than 20 metres in length overall; (18) "large-scale catching vessel" means a catching vessel greater than 20 metres in length overall; (19) "ICCAT record of large-scale fishing vessels" means the list, maintained by the ICCAT Secretariat, of large-scale fishing vessels authorised to target ICCAT species in the ICCAT Convention area; (20) "support vessel" means a vessel other than a craft carried on board that is not equipped with operational fishing gear and that facilitates, assists or prepares fishing activities, including by supplying a catching vessel and deploying, servicing and retrieving a fish-aggregating device; (21) "carrier vessel" means a support vessel engaged in transhipment and receiving ICCAT species from a large-scale pelagic longline vessel; (22) "ICCAT record of carrier vessels" means the list, maintained by the ICCAT Secretariat, of vessels authorised to receive transhipment at sea from large-scale pelagic longline vessels in the ICCAT Convention area; (23) "ICCAT record of authorised tropical tunas vessels" means the list, maintained by the ICCAT Secretariat, of large-scale fishing vessels authorised to fish, retain on board, tranship, transport, process or land tropical tunas in the ICCAT Convention area; (23a) "floating object" or "FOB" means any natural or artificial floating (i.e. surface or subsurface) object with no capability of moving on its own; fish-aggregating devices (FADs) are FOBs that are human-made and intentionally deployed and/or tracked; logs are FOBs that are accidently lost from anthropic and natural sources; (24) "fish-aggregating device" or "FAD" means a permanent, semi-permanent or temporary object, structure or device of any material, human-made or natural, which is deployed or tracked, and used to aggregate fish for subsequent capture; FADs can either be anchored (aFADs) or drifting (dFADs); (24a) "FAD set" means setting fishing gear around a tuna school associated with a FAD; (25) "IUU fishing" means fishing activities defined in point 1 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008; (26) "ICCAT IUU list" means a list of vessels which are considered by ICCAT to have engaged in IUU fishing; (27) "longlines" means a fishing gear which comprises a main line carrying numerous hooks on branch lines (snoods) of variable length and spacing depending on the target species; (27a) "shallow-set longlines" means longlines in which, when deployed, the majority of hooks are at a depth of less than 100 metres; (28) "purse seines" means any encircling net the bottom of which is drawn together by means of a purse line at the bottom of the net, which passes through a series of rings along the groundrope, enabling the net to be pursed and closed; (29) "hook" means a bent, sharpened piece of steel wire; (30) "circle hook" means a hook with the point turned perpendicularly back to the shank to form a generally circular or oval shape; circle hooks should have an offset of no more than 10 degrees; (31) "operational buoy" means any instrumented buoy, previously activated, switched on and deployed at sea, which transmits position and any other available information such as echo-sounder estimates.
(a) as the average number and the capacity in GT of Union catching vessels targeting bigeye tuna in the ICCAT Convention area during the period 1991 to 1992; and (b) on the basis of the restriction on the number of Union catching vessels targeting bigeye tuna in 2005 as notified to ICCAT on 30 June 2005 .
(a) where the master determines that the tropical tunas caught are meshed or crushed in the purse seine, are damaged due to depredation, or have died and decomposed in the net due to a gear failure that has prevented the normal activities of retrieval of the net, fishing and releasing the fish alive; (b) where the master determines that the tropical tunas have been caught during the last set of a trip and there is not enough storage capacity to store the tunas caught during this set; those fish may only be discarded provided that: (i) the master or the crew members attempt to release the tunas alive as quickly as possible; and (ii) no other fishing operation is conducted following the discarding, until such time as the tunas on board the vessel are landed or transhipped.
(a) improve the knowledge about FAD characteristics, buoy characteristics, FAD fishing, including fishing effort, and related impacts on targeted and non-targeted species; (b) effectively manage the deployment and recovery of FADs and beacons and their potential loss; (c) reduce and limit the impacts of FADs and FAD fishing on the ecosystem, including, where appropriate, by acting on the different components of the fishing mortality (e.g. number of deployed FADs, including number of FAD sets by purse seiners, fishing capacity, number of support vessels).
(a) the surface structure of the FAD shall be either not covered by any material or covered only with material implying minimum risk of entangling non-targeted species; and (b) the sub-surface components shall be exclusively composed of material which does not entangle non-targeted species.
(a) ensure that all FADs deployed are non-entangling, in accordance with the guidelines set out in Annex X; (b) endeavour to ensure that all FADs are constructed from biodegradable materials, such as non-plastics, with the exception of materials used in the construction of FAD tracking buoys.
(a) position of the FAD; (b) date of deployment of the FAD; (c) FAD type (anchored FAD, drifting artificial FAD); (d) FAD identifier (i.e. FAD marking or beacon ID, type of buoy — e.g. simple buoy or associated with echo sounder), or any information allowing identification of the owner; (e) FAD design characteristics (dimension and material of the floating part and of the underwater hanging structure, and the entangling feature of the underwater hanging structure).
(a) type of visit (hauling, retrieving, intervention on electronic equipment); (b) position of the FAD; (c) date of visit; (d) FAD type (anchored FAD, drifting natural FAD, drifting artificial FAD); (e) log description or FAD identifier (i.e. FAD marking and buoy ID or any information allowing identification of the owner); (f) if the visit is followed by a set, the results of the set in terms of catch and by-catch, whether retained or discarded, dead or alive, or, if the visit is not followed by a set, the reason for such decision (for instance not enough fish or fish too small); (g) buoy ID.
(a) the last registered position; (b) date of the last registered position; (c) FAD identifier (i.e. FAD marking and buoy ID).
(a) the number of FADs actually deployed, on a quarterly basis, by FAD type, indicating the presence or absence of a beacon/buoy or of an echo sounder associated to the FAD; (b) the number and type of beacons/buoys (e.g. radio, sonar only, sonar with echo-sounder) deployed on a monthly basis in accordance with Task II data requirements; (c) the average number of beacons/buoys activated and deactivated on a monthly basis that have been followed by each vessel; (d) average number of lost FADs with active buoys, on a monthly basis; (e) for each support vessel, the number of days spent at sea, per 1° grid area, month and flag Member State; (f) purse seiner and baitboat catches, effort and number of sets (for purse seines) by fishing mode (FOB associated schools and free school fisheries) in accordance with Task II data requirements; (g) when the activities of purse seiners are carried out in association with baitboats, reports on catches and effort of purse seiners associated to baitboats in accordance with Task I and II data requirements.
(a) paper and electronic fishing logbooks, as well as FAD logbooks, where applicable, are promptly collected and made available to Union scientists; (b) the Task II data transmitted to the Commission pursuant to Article 50 include the information collected from the fishing or FAD logbooks, where applicable.
(a) for their longline vessels 20 metres in length overall or greater, a minimum of 10 % observer coverage of fishing effort by 2022, through the presence of an observer on board in accordance with Annex IV or through an approved electronic monitoring system; (b) for their purse seiners, a 100 % observer coverage of fishing effort, through the presence of an observer on board in accordance with Annex IV or through an approved electronic monitoring system.
(a) a list of catching vessels flying their flag authorised to target Mediterranean swordfish; (b) a list of vessels authorised by them to target Mediterranean swordfish in the course of recreational fisheries.
(a) information on the catching vessel: (i) name of the vessel (in the absence of the name, the registry number without country initials shall be indicated); (ii) Union fleet register number as defined in Annex I to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218 of 6 February 2017 on the Union fishing fleet register (OJ L 34, 9.2.2017, p. 9 ).(iii) ICCAT record number;
(b) information related to fishing activities, based on sampling or on the whole fleet: (i) fishing period(s) and total annual number of fishing days of the vessel, by target species and area; (ii) geographical areas, by ICCAT statistical rectangles, for the fishing activities carried out by the vessel, by target species and area; (iii) type of vessel, by target species and area; (iv) number of hooks used by the vessel, by target species and area; (v) number of longline units used by the vessel, by target species and area; (vi) overall length of all longline units for the vessel, by target species and area;
(c) data on the catches, in the smallest time-area possible: (i) size and, if possible, age distributions of the catches; (ii) catches and catch composition per vessel; (iii) fishing effort (average fishing days per vessel, average number of hooks per vessel, average longline units per vessel, average overall length of longline per vessel).
(a) the biological samples are collected only from animals which are dead at the haul back; (b) the biological samples are taken in the framework of a research project notified to the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics of the ICCAT and developed taking into consideration the recommended research priorities of that Committee. The research project should include a detailed document that describes the objective of the project, the methodologies to be used, the number and type of samples to be collected and the time and area of sampling; (c) the biological samples are kept on board until the port of landing or transhipment; and (d) the authorisation of the flag Member State or, in the case of chartered vessels, of the chartering CPC and the flag Member State, must accompany all samples collected in accordance with this Article until the final port of landing. Such samples and other parts of the shark specimens sampled shall not be marketed or sold.
(a) longlines are set during the night, with night being defined as the period between nautical dusk/dawn as referenced in the nautical dusk/dawn almanac for the geographical position of fishing; and (b) minimum swivel weight of 60 g placed not more than 3 metres from the hook is used to achieve optimum sink rates.
(a) night setting with minimum deck lighting; (b) bird-scaring lines (tori lines); (c) line weighting.
(a) use only large circle hooks; (b) use only finfish bait; or (c) use other measures that have been reviewed and considered effective and approved by ICCAT to be capable of reducing the interaction rate of sea turtles in shallow-set longline fisheries.
(a) ensure that interactions with sea turtles are reduced and eliminated to the extent practicable, where encounters with sea turtles have been documented and reported to the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics, through the use or continued use of at least one of the following by-catch mitigation measures: (i) alternative or new gear types and gear modifications; (ii) time-area fishing restrictions and closures in instances where there is a higher risk of interaction with sea turtles; (iii) effective marking of static net gear, allowing their detection by sea turtles, such as the use of net colours, light passive reflectors, thicker twine diameter, corks or other materials within the net; (iv) modifications in fishing behaviour and strategy (e.g. reduced soaking time etc.);
(b) require purse seiners flying their flag to: (i) avoid encircling sea turtles to the extent practicable; (ii) release encircled or entangled sea turtles, including on FADs, where feasible; and (iii) ensure that FADs deployed are constructed according to Annex X to effectively eliminate entanglement risks of sea turtles;
(c) take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe release of sea turtles in a manner that maximises the likelihood of their survival by requiring that: (i) purse seiners, longline vessels and other types of vessels flying their flag that use gear that may entangle sea turtles, carry on board de-hookers, line-cutters and basket lifts or dip nets, as appropriate for each gear type and consistent with the "Best practices for sea turtle handling and release" of the FAO Guidelines to reduce sea turtle mortality in fishing operations (2009) ("the FAO guidelines"); (ii) the owners, operators and crew members of the vessels referred to in point (i), as well as any on-board observers, use the equipment referred to in that point in accordance with the safe handling and release practices for sea turtles set out in Annex VI, and consistent with the FAO guidelines; (iii) the owners, operators and crew members of the vessels referred to in point (i) be encouraged to have training in the use of the equipment referred to in that point;
(d) require their fishers on vessels targeting species covered by the ICCAT Convention to bring aboard, if practicable, any captured sea turtle that is comatose or inactive as soon as possible and foster its recovery, including giving it resuscitation in accordance with Section C of Annex VI before returning it to the water; (e) ensure that fishers are aware of and use proper mitigation and handling techniques, as described in Annex VI.
(a) paragraph 2a shall not apply; (b) paragraphs 4 and 5 shall apply from 1 January 2026 .
(a) catch rates, gear characteristics, times and locations, target species and disposition status (i.e. discarded dead or released alive); (b) a breakdown of interactions by sea turtle species; and (c) the nature of the hooking or entanglement (including with FADs), bait type, hook size and type, and the size of the animal.
(a) the chartered vessels shall have a fishing authorisation issued by the chartering CPC and shall not be on the ICCAT IUU list; (b) the chartered vessels shall not be authorised to fish under more than one chartering arrangement at the same time; (c) the catches of the chartered vessels shall be unloaded exclusively in the ports of the chartering CPCs, unless otherwise provided for in the chartering arrangement; and (d) the chartering company shall be legally established in the chartering CPC.
(a) information on the characteristics of their fleet for the previous year; (b) estimates of the annual nominal catch data (including by-catch and discards data) concerning ICCAT species for the previous year.
(a) catch and fishing effort data for the previous year, giving a detailed spatio-temporal breakdown; those data shall include estimates of discards and releases with the indication of the status of the fish (dead or alive); (b) any data they have on catches in recreational fisheries for the previous year.
(a) transhipment operations carried out within the ICCAT Convention area in respect of ICCAT species and other species caught in association with those species; and (b) transhipment operations carried out outside the ICCAT Convention area in respect of ICCAT species and other species caught in association with those species, that were harvested in the ICCAT Convention area.
name of vessel, register number, ICCAT record number (if any), IMO number, previous name (if any), previous flag (if any), previous details of deletion from other registries (if any), international radio call sign, type of vessels, length, gross registered tonnage (GRT) and carrying capacity, names and addresses of owners and operators, type of transhipment authorised (i.e. in port, at sea), time period authorised for transhipping.
name of vessel, register number, ICCAT record number, time period authorised for transhipping at sea, flag(s), name(s) and register number(s) of the carrier vessel(s) authorised for use by the large-scale pelagic longline vessel(s).
(a) the name of the large-scale pelagic longline vessel and its number in the ICCAT record of large-scale pelagic longline vessels authorised to tranship at sea; (b) the name of the carrier vessel and its number in the ICCAT record of carrier vessels; (c) the product to be transhipped, by species, where known, and, if possible, by stock; (d) the quantities of ICCAT species, if possible, by stock, to be transhipped; (e) the quantities of other species caught in association with ICCAT species by species, if known, to be transhipped; (f) the date and location of transhipment; (g) the geographic location of the catches by species and, where appropriate, by stock, consistent with ICCAT statistical areas.
(a) a life raft of sufficient capacity for all persons on board and with a certificate of inspection that is valid throughout the observer’s deployment; (b) life jackets or survival suits of sufficient number for all persons on board, and compliant with relevant international standards; and (c) a properly registered emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and a search and rescue transponder (SART) that will not expire until after the observer deployment ends.
(a) the quantities of catches of ICCAT species, by species and, if possible, by stock, transhipped during the previous year; (b) the quantities of other species caught in association with ICCAT species by species, if known, transhipped during the previous year; (c) the list of the large-scale pelagic longline vessels which have transhipped during the previous year; (d) a comprehensive report assessing the content and conclusions of the reports of the ICCAT regional observers assigned to carrier vessels which have received transhipment from large-scale pelagic longline vessels.
(a) a minimum of 5 % observer coverage of fishing effort in each of pelagic longline, purse seine, baitboat, traps, gillnet and trawl fisheries, targeting ICCAT species; (b) for chartered vessels, by way of derogation from point (a), a minimum of 10 % observer coverage of fishing effort in each of the pelagic longline, purse seine and baitboat fisheries; (c) a representative temporal and spatial coverage of the operation of the fleet to ensure the collection of adequate and appropriate data, taking into account characteristics of the fleets and fisheries; (d) data collection on all aspects of the fishing operation, including catch, as specified in Article 63(1).
(a) for purse seine fisheries, in number of sets or trips; (b) for pelagic longline fisheries, in fishing days, number of sets, or trips; (c) for baitboat and trap fisheries, in fishing days; (d) for gillnet fisheries, in fishing hours or days; and (e) for trawl fisheries, in fishing hauls or days.
(a) sufficient knowledge and experience to identify species and collect information on different fishing gear configurations; (b) satisfactory knowledge of the ICCAT conservation and management measures; (c) ability to observe and record accurately data to be collected under the programme; (d) ability to collect biological samples; (e) not be a crew member of the fishing vessel being observed; and (f) not be an employee of a fishing vessel company involved in the fishery being observed.
(a) record and report on the fishing activity of the observed vessel, which shall include at least the following: (i) data collection, including quantifying total target catch, by-catch and discards (including sharks, sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds), estimating or measuring size composition, as practicable, disposition status (i.e. retained, discarded dead, released alive) and the collection of biological samples for life history studies (e.g. gonads, otoliths, spines, scales); (ii) information on all tags found; (iii) fishing operation information, including location of catch by latitude and longitude, fishing effort information (e.g. number of sets, number of hooks), date of each fishing operation, including, as appropriate, the start and stop times of the fishing activity, use of fish aggregating objects, including FADs, and general condition of released animals related to survival rates (i.e. dead or alive, wounded);
(b) observe and record the use of mitigation measures to reduce incidental catches and other relevant information; (c) to the extent possible, observe and report environmental conditions (e.g. sea state, climate and hydrologic parameters); (d) observe and report on FADs, in accordance with the ICCAT regional observer programme adopted under the multi-annual conservation and management programme for tropical tuna; and (e) perform any other scientific tasks as recommended by the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics and agreed by the Commission.
(a) do not interfere with the electronic equipment of the vessel; (b) are familiar with the emergency procedures aboard the vessel, including the location of life rafts, fire extinguishers and first aid kits; (c) communicate as needed with the master on relevant observer issues and tasks; (d) do not hinder or interfere with the fishing activities and the normal operations of the vessel; (e) participate in debriefing sessions with appropriate representatives of the scientific institute or the domestic authority responsible for implementing the observer programme.
(a) permit appropriate access to the vessel and its operations; (b) allow the observer to carry out the observer tasks in an effective way, including by: (i) providing appropriate access to the vessel’s gear, documentation (including electronic and paper logbooks), and catch; (ii) communicating at any time with appropriate representatives of the scientific institute or domestic authority; (iii) ensuring appropriate access to electronics and other equipment pertinent to fishing, including: satellite navigation equipment, electronic means of communication;
(iv) ensuring that no one on board the observed vessel tampers with or destroys observer equipment or documentation, obstructs, interferes with, or otherwise acts in a manner that could unnecessarily prevent the observer from performing observer tasks;
(c) provide accommodation to observers, including berthing, food and adequate sanitary and medical facilities, equal to those of officers; (d) provide the observer adequate space on the bridge or pilot house to perform observer tasks, as well as space on deck adequate for carrying out observer tasks.
(a) require vessels flying its flag, when fishing for ICCAT species, to carry a scientific observer in accordance with this Regulation; (b) oversee the safety of its observers; (c) encourage, where feasible and appropriate, their scientific institute or domestic authority to enter into agreements with the scientific institutes or domestic authorities of other Member States or CPCs for the exchange of observer reports and observer data between them; (d) provide in its annual report for use by the Commission and the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics, specific information on the implementation of ICCAT Recommendation 16-14, which shall include: (i) details on the structure and design of their scientific observer programmes, including, inter alia: the target level of observer coverage by fishery and gear type as well as how it is measured, data required to be collected, data collection and handling protocols in place, information on how vessels are selected for coverage to achieve the Member States’ target level of observer coverage, observer training requirements, and observer qualification requirements;
(ii) the number of vessels monitored, the coverage level achieved by fishery and gear type, and details on how those coverage levels were calculated;
(e) following the initial submission of the information required under point (d)(i), report changes to the structure and design of its observer programmes in its annual reports only when such changes occur; and continue to report the information required pursuant to point (d)(ii) to the Commission annually; (f) each year, using the designated electronic formats that are developed by the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics, report to that committee information collected through domestic observer programmes for use by the Commission, in particular for stock assessment and other scientific purposes, in line with procedures in place for other data reporting requirements and consistent with domestic confidentiality requirements; (g) ensure implementation of robust data collection protocols by its observers, when carrying out their tasks referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, including, as necessary and appropriate, the use of photography.
(a) designate their ports to which third country fishing vessels may request entry pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008; (b) designate a point of contact for the purposes of receiving prior notice pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008; (c) designate a point of contact for the purposes of transmitting port inspection reports pursuant to Article 66 of this Regulation.
(a) if the sighted vessel is flagged to a Member State, the flag Member state shall, without undue delay, take appropriate action with respect to the vessel concerned; both the sighting Member State and the flag Member State of the sighted vessel shall provide information on the sighting to the Commission and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), including details of any follow-up action taken; (b) if the sighted vessel is flagged to another CPC, a non-CPC, or is of indeterminate flag or without nationality, the sighting Member State shall, without undue delay, provide to the Commission and the EFCA all appropriate information related to the sighting; the Commission shall, as appropriate, transmit the sighting information to the ICCAT Secretariat.
(a) Annexes I to X; (aa) the capacity limitations for tropical tunas under Article 5a related to annual fishing and capacity management plan reporting referred to paragraph 2 of that Article, as well as the number of support vessels referred to in paragraph 3 of that Article; (b) the time limits laid down in Article 7(1), Article 8, Article 9(1), Article 14(1), Article 18, Article 20(2), (3) and (4), Article 22(2), Article 23(1) and (2), Article 26(1) and (3), Article 40(1), Article 42(1), Article 44(3), Article 47(2), Article 48(1) and (2), Article 50(1) and (2), Article 56(3), Article 57(1), (2) and (3), Article 59(1) and (2), Article 64, Article 65(2), Article 66(1) and (2), Article 67(1) and (2), Article 69(2), Article 70(2), (3) and (5), and Article 71(1); (ba) the annual carry-over for bigeye tuna under Article 8a; (bb) the requirements for FADs under Article 10(1) and (2); (bc) the references to ICCAT recommendations referred to in Article 10(2), Article 28, Article 27(3), Article 29b(2) and (3), Article 36a(2), Article 58a(2) and (4), Article 63(4), point (d), and Article 66a(2); (c) the minimum observer coverage under Article 14(2); (ca) the restrictions on the number of Union catching vessels targeting North Atlantic albacore under Article 17; (cb) the annual carry-over of North and South Atlantic albacore under Article 17b; (cc) North Atlantic swordfish management plans under Article 18; (cd) the annual carry-over of North and South Atlantic swordfish under Article 18b; (d) the minimum sizes laid down in Article 19(1) and (2), Article 24(2) and Article 29(2) and (3); (e) the tolerances laid down in Article 19(2) and (3), Article 21 and Article 24(3); (f) the technical specifications of hooks and longlines laid down in Article 25 and point (b) of Article 38(5); (g) the scientific observer coverage laid down in Article 29(1), and points (a) and (b) of Article 61(1); (h) the type of information and data laid down in Article 11(1), (2) and (3), Article 12, Articles 20(2), 26(1) and 42(1), Article 50(1) and (2), and Articles 54(4), 55(4), 56(3) and 59(1); (i) the maximum number of instrumental buoys laid down in Article 9(4); (j) the requirements to maximise sea turtle survival under Article 41; (k) the percentage coverage calculation under Article 61(2).
(a) in Article 3, the following points are added: "(g) large-scale fishing vessel fishing vessel 20 metres in length overall or greater; (h) large-scale pelagic longline vessel pelagic longline vessel 24 metres in length overall or greater."; (b) in Article 4(2), the following point is added: "(c) if the fishing has been carried out by a large-scale fishing vessel, be accepted only when that vessel is on the ICCAT record of vessels."; (c) in Article 5(2), the following point is added: "(c) if the fishing has been carried out by a large-scale fishing vessel, be validated only when that vessel is on the ICCAT record of vessels."; (d) in Chapter 2, the following Section is added: "Section 4 Requirements for Member States in respect of transhipped products in the ICCAT Convention area Article 7a Statistical documents and reporting 1. When validating statistical documents, the flag Member State of large-scale pelagic longline vessels shall ensure that transhipments are consistent with the reported catch amount by each such vessel. 2. The flag Member State of large-scale pelagic longline vessels shall validate statistical documents for the transhipped fish, after confirming that the transhipment was conducted in accordance with Articles 51 to 58 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2017 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1936/2001, (EC) No 1984/2003 and (EC) No 520/2007 (OJ L 315, 30.11.2017, p. 1 ).".3. Member States shall require that the species covered by the statistical document programs caught by large-scale pelagic longline vessels in the ICCAT Convention area, when imported into their area or territory, are accompanied by statistical documents validated for the vessels on the ICCAT list of large-scale pelagic longline vessels authorised to tranship at sea and a copy of the ICCAT transhipment declaration. ----------------------Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2017 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1936/2001, (EC) No 1984/2003 and (EC) No 520/2007 (OJ L 315, 30.11.2017, p. 1 ).".
| Family | Latin name | English name |
|---|---|---|
| Wahoo | ||
| Slender tuna | ||
| Bullet tuna | ||
| Frigate tuna | ||
| Little tunny/Atlantic black skipjack | ||
| Butterfly kingfish | ||
| Skipjack | ||
| Plain bonito | ||
| Atlantic bonito | ||
| Serra Spanish mackerel | ||
| King mackerel | ||
| Spotted Atlantic Spanish mackerel | ||
| Cero | ||
| West African Spanish mackerel | ||
| Albacore | ||
| Yellowfin tuna | ||
| Blackfin tuna | ||
| Southern bluefin tuna | ||
| Bigeye tuna | ||
| Bluefin tuna | ||
| Atlantic sailfish | ||
| Black marlin | ||
| Atlantic blue marlin | ||
| Atlantic white marlin | ||
| Mediterranean spearfish | ||
| Roundscale spearfish | ||
| Longbill spearfish | ||
| Swordfish | ||
| Bigeye thresher shark | ||
| Thresher | ||
| Silky shark | ||
| Galapagos shark | ||
| Oceanic whitetip shark | ||
| Blue shark | ||
| Great white shark | ||
| Shortfin mako shark | ||
| Longfin mako shark | ||
| Porbeagle shark | ||
| Scalloped hammerhead | ||
| Great hammerhead | ||
| Smooth hammerhead | ||
| Whale shark | ||
| Crocodile shark | ||
| Basking shark | ||
| Pelagic stingray | ||
| N/A | ||
| Giant manta | ||
| Lesser devil ray | ||
| N/A | ||
| Devil fish | ||
| Chilean devil ray | ||
| Bentfin devil ray |
(1) Description (a) FAD types: AFAD = anchored; DFAD = drifting (b) Type of beacon/buoy (c) Maximum number of FAD to be deployed per purse seine and per FAD type (d) Minimum distance between AFADs (e) Incidental by-catch reduction and utilisation policy (f) Consideration of interaction with other gear types (g) Statement or policy on "FAD ownership";
(2) Institutional arrangements (a) Institutional responsibilities for the FAD management plan (b) Application processes for FAD deployment approval (c) Obligations of vessel owners and masters in respect of FAD deployment and use (d) FAD replacement policy (e) Additional reporting obligations beyond this Regulation (f) Conflict resolution policy in respect of FADs (g) Details of any closed areas or periods, e.g. territorial waters, shipping lanes, proximity to artisanal fisheries, etc.;
(3) FAD construction specifications and requirements (a) FAD design characteristics (a description) (b) Lighting requirements (c) Radar reflectors (d) Visible distance (e) FAD markings and identifier (f) Radio buoy markings and identifier (requirement for serial numbers) (g) Echo sounder buoy markings and identifier (requirement for serial numbers) (h) Satellite transceivers (i) Research undertaken on biodegradable FADs (j) Prevention of loss or abandonment of FADs (k) Management of FADs recovery;
(4) Applicable period for the FAD management plan; (5) Means for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the FAD management plan.
| FAD Identifier | FAD & electronic equipment types | FAD Design characteristics | Observation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAD Marking | Associated beacon ID | FAD Type | Type of the associated beacon and /or electronic devices | FAD floating part | FAD underwater hanging structure | |||
| Dimensions | Materials | Dimensions | Materials | |||||
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
sufficient experience to identify species and fishing gear, satisfactory knowledge of the ICCAT conservation and management measures assessed by a certificate provided by the Member State and based on ICCAT training guidelines, the ability to observe and record accurately, a satisfactory knowledge of the language of the flag state of the vessel observed.
(a) be nationals of one of the CPCs; (b) be capable of performing the duties set out in point 3; (c) not have current financial or beneficial interests in the tropical tuna fisheries.
(a) to monitor the fishing vessels' compliance with the relevant conservation and management measures adopted by the ICCAT Commission. In particular, the observers shall: (i) record and report upon the fishing activities carried out; (ii) observe and estimate catches and verify entries made in the logbook; (iii) sight and record vessels which may be fishing in contravention of ICCAT conservation and management measures; (iv) verify the position of the vessel when engaged in catching activity; (v) carry out scientific work such as collecting Task II data when required by ICCAT, based on the directives from the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics;
(b) to report without delay, with due regard to the safety of the observer, any fishing activity associated with FADs made by the vessel in the area and during the period referred to in Article 11; (c) to establish general reports compiling the information collected in accordance with this point 3 and provide the master the opportunity to include therein any relevant information.
(a) the observers shall be allowed access to the vessel personnel and to the gear and equipment; (b) upon request, observers shall also be allowed access to the following equipment, if present on the vessels to which they are assigned, in order to facilitate the carrying out of their duties set out in point 3: (i) satellite navigation equipment; (ii) radar display viewing screens when in use; (iii) electronic means of communication;
(c) the observers shall be provided with accommodation, including lodging, food and adequate sanitary facilities, equal to those of officers; (d) the observers shall be provided with adequate space on the bridge or pilot house for clerical work, as well as space on deck adequate for carrying out observer duties; and (e) the flag Member State shall ensure that masters, crew and vessel owners do not obstruct, intimidate, interfere with, influence, bribe or attempt to bribe the observers in the performance of their duties.
| Mitigation measure | Description | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Night setting with minimum deck lighting | No setting between nautical dawn and nautical dusk. Deck lighting to be kept to a minimum | Nautical dusk and nautical dawn are defined as set out in the Nautical Almanac tables for relevant latitude, local time and date. Minimum deck lighting should not breach minimum standards for safety and navigation. |
| Bird-scaring lines (tori lines) | Bird-scaring lines shall be deployed during longline setting to deter birds from approaching the branch line |
|
| Line weighting | Line weights to be deployed on the snood prior to setting |
(a) putting the vessel engine in neutral gear so that the propeller is disengaged and the vessel is stopped, and releasing the sea turtle away from deployed gear; and (b) observing that the sea turtle is safely away from the vessel before engaging the propeller and continuing operations.
the quantities of tuna and tuna-like species, if possible, by stock, to be transhipped, the quantities of other species caught in association with tuna and tuna-like species by species, where known, to be transhipped, the date and place of the transhipment, the name, registration number and flag of the receiving carrier vessel, and the geographical location of the catches by species and, where appropriate, by stock, consistent with ICCAT statistical areas.
demonstrated ability to identify ICCAT species and fishing gear with a strong preference given to those with experience as observers on pelagic longline vessels, satisfactory knowledge of the ICCAT conservation and management measures, the ability to observe and record accurately, a satisfactory knowledge of the language of the flag of the vessel observed.
(a) have completed the technical training required by the guidelines established by ICCAT; (b) not be nationals or citizens of the flag State of the receiving carrier vessel; (c) be capable of performing the duties set out in point 5; (d) be included in the list of observers maintained by ICCAT; (e) not be a crew member of the LSPLV or the carrier vessel or an employee of the LSPLV or carrier vessel company.
5.1 Visit the LSPLV intending to tranship to a carrier vessel, taking into account the concerns reflected in point 9, and before the transhipment takes place, to: (a) check the validity of the fishing vessel's authorisation or licence to catch tuna and tuna-like species and any other species caught in association with those species in the ICCAT Convention area; (b) inspect the fishing vessel's prior authorisations to tranship at sea from the flag CPC and, if appropriate, the coastal State; (c) check and record the total quantity of catch on board by species and, if possible, by stock, and the quantities to be transhipped to the carrier vessel; (d) check that the vessel monitoring system (VMS) is functioning and examine the logbook and verify entries, if possible; (e) verify whether any of the catch on board resulted from transfers from other vessels, and check the documentation on such transfers; (f) in the case of indication that there are any violations involving the fishing vessel, immediately report the violation(s) to the master of the carrier vessel (taking due regard of any safety considerations) and to the observer programme implementing company, who shall promptly forward it to the flag CPC authorities of the fishing vessel; and (g) record the results of these duties on the fishing vessel in the observer's report.
5.2 Observe the activities of the carrier vessel and: (a) record and report upon the transhipment activities carried out; (b) verify the position of the vessel when engaged in transhipping; (c) observe and estimate quantities of tuna and tuna-like species transhipped by species, if known, and, if possible, by stock; (d) observe and estimate the quantities of other species caught in association with tuna and tuna-like species by species, if known; (e) verify and record the name of the LSPLV concerned and its ICCAT record number; (f) verify the data contained in the transhipment declaration, including through comparison with the LSPLV logbook, where possible; (g) certify the data contained in the transhipment declaration; (h) countersign the transhipment declaration; and (i) observe and estimate quantities of product by species when offloaded in the port where the observer is disembarked to verify consistency with quantities received during transhipment at sea.
5.3 In addition, the observer shall: (a) issue a daily report of the carrier vessel's transhipping activities; (b) establish general reports compiling the information collected in accordance with the observer's duties and provide the captain the opportunity to include therein any relevant information; (c) submit to the ICCAT Secretariat the general reports referred to in point (b) within 20 days from the end of the period of observation; (d) exercise any other functions as defined by ICCAT.
(a) Observers shall be allowed access to the vessel personnel, pertinent documentation, and to the gear and equipment. (b) Upon request, observers shall also be allowed access to the following equipment, if present on the vessels to which they are assigned, in order to facilitate the carrying out of their duties set out in point 5: (i) satellite navigation equipment; (ii) radar display viewing screens when in use; (iii) electronic means of communication; and (iv) scale used for weighing transhipped product.
(c) Observers shall be provided with accommodations, including lodging, food and adequate sanitary facilities, equal to those of officers. (d) Observers shall be provided with adequate space on the bridge or pilot house for clerical work, as well as space on deck adequate for carrying out observer duties. (e) Observers shall be allowed to determine the most advantageous location and method for viewing transhipment operations and estimating species/stocks and quantities transhipped. In this regard, the master of the carrier vessel, giving due regard to safety and practical concerns, shall accommodate the needs of the observers, including, upon request, temporarily placing product on the carrier vessel deck for inspection by the observers and providing adequate time for the observers to carry out their duties. Observations shall be conducted in a manner that minimises interference and avoids compromising the quality of the products transhipped. (f) In light of the provisions of point 10, the master of the carrier vessel shall ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to the observer to ensure safe transport between the carrier and fishing vessels should weather and other conditions permit such an exchange. and (g) The flag States shall ensure that captains, crew and vessel owners do not obstruct, intimidate, interfere with, influence, bribe or attempt to bribe the observers in the performance of their duties.
1. Safety first: These minimum standards shall be considered in light of the safety of and practicability for crew members. The safety of crew members shall always come first. As a minimum, crew members shall wear suitable gloves and avoid working near the mouths of sharks. 2. Training: Training materials are available to Member States in the three ICCAT official languages. 3. Method of release: To the greatest extent practicable, all sharks being released shall remain in the water at all times unless it is necessary to lift sharks for species identification. This includes cutting the line to free the shark while it is still in the water, using bolt cutters or dehooking devices to remove the hook if possible, or cutting the line as close to the hook as possible (leaving as little trailing line as possible). 4. Be prepared: Tools shall be prepared in advance (e.g. canvas or net slings, stretchers for carrying or lifting, large mesh net or grid to cover hatches or hoppers in purse seine fisheries and long handled cutters and de-hookers in longline fisheries, listed under Section E).
(a) gloves (shark skin is rough; ensures safe handling of shark and protects crew members’ hands from bites); (b) towel or cloth (a towel or cloth soaked in seawater can be placed on the eyes of the shark to calm shark down); (c) dehooking devices (e.g. pig tail dehooker, bolt or plier cutters); (d) shark harness or stretcher (if needed); (e) tail rope (to secure a hooked shark if it needs to be removed from the water); (f) saltwater hose (if anticipated that it may require more than 5 minutes to release a shark, then place a hose into its mouth so seawater flows into it at a moderate rate; make sure deck pump has been running several minutes before placing it in a sharks mouth); (g) measuring device or method (e.g. mark a pole, leader and float, or a measuring tape); (h) data sheet for recording all catch; (i) tagging gear (if applicable).