Conservation and Management Measures (Advanced Search)

The Commission should establish annually a list of CPCs and NCPs that have been subject to a non-discriminatory market-related measure pursuant to paragraph 5 and, with respect to NCPs, are considered as Non Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties to IOTC.

Where exceptional circumstances so warrant or where available information clearly shows that, despite the lifting of non-discriminatory market related measures adopted in accordance with paragraph 9, the CPC or NCP concerned continues to diminish the effectiveness of IOTC Conservation and Management Measures, the Commission may immediately decide on action including, as appropriate, the imposition of non-discriminatory market related measures in accordance with paragraph 5. Before making such a decision, the Commission should request the CPC or NCP concerned to discontinue its wrongful conduct and, after verification through the IOTC Secretariat that the CPC or NCP concerned has received such communication, should provide the CPC or NCP with an opportunity to respond within 10 working days. Absence of response from the CPC or NCP concerned within the time limit shall not prevent action from the Commission.

Procedures for the implementation of full retention requirements include:

1. No bigeye, skipjack, and/or yellowfin tuna caught by purse-seine vessels may be discarded after the point in the set when the net is fully pursed and more than one half of the net has been retrieved. If equipment malfunctions affect the process of pursing and retrieving the net in such a way that this rule cannot be complied with, the crew must make efforts to release the tuna as soon as possible.
2. The following two exceptions to the above rule shall apply:
   1. Where it is determined by the captain of the vessel that tuna (bigeye, yellowfin or skipjack) caught are unfit for human consumption, the following definitions shall be applied:
   • "unfit for human consumption" includes, but is not limited to, fish that:
   • is meshed or crushed in the purse-seine; or
   • is damaged due to depredation; or
   • has died and spoiled in the net where a gear failure has prevented both the normal retrieval of the net and catch, and efforts to release the fish alive;
   • "unfit for human consumption" does not include fish that:
   • is considered undesirable in terms of size, marketability, or species composition; or
   • is spoiled or contaminated as the result of an act or omission of the crew of the fishing vessel.
   1. Where the captain of a vessel determines that tuna (bigeye, yellowfin or skipjack) was caught during the final set of a trip and there is insufficient well space to accommodate all tuna (bigeye, yellowfin or skipjack) caught in that set. This fish may only be discarded if:
   • the captain and crew attempt to release the tuna (bigeye, yellowfin or skipjack) alive as soon as possible
   • and no further fishing is undertaken after the discard until the tuna (bigeye, yellowfin or skipjack) on board the vessel has been landed or transhipped.

Contracting Parties and Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties should encourage full compliance by their respective fleets with the requirements of this recommendation.

The IOTC Scientific Committee is encouraged to provide advice at its 2010 session, on the management of discards in both purse seine and longline fisheries.

Contracting Parties and Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties (CPCs) shall prohibit their fishing vessels from intentionally fishing within one nautical mile of or interacting with a data buoy in the IOTC area of competence, which includes, but is not limited to, encircling the buoy with fishing gear; tying up to or attaching the vessel, or any fishing gear, part or portion of the vessel, to a data buoy or its mooring; or cutting a data buoy anchor line.

CPCs shall encourage their fishing vessels operating in the IOTC area of competence to keep watch for moored data buoys at sea and to take all reasonable measures to avoid fishing gear entanglement or directly interacting in any way with those data buoys.

CPCs shall encourage their fishing vessels to report to them regarding any data buoys observed to be damaged or otherwise inoperable along with the date of observation, buoy location, and any discernable identifying information contained on the data buoy. CPCs shall notify the IOTC Secretariat of all such reports.

CPCs are encouraged to communicate to the Commission, through the IOTC Secretariat, the location of data buoy assets that they have deployed throughout the IOTC area of competence.