PURPOSE : to lay down measures applicable to fishing for certain stocks of highly migratory fish.
COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Regulation 1963/2001/EC laying down control measures applicable to fishing for certain stocks of highly migratory fish.
CONTENT : the Community has involvement with certain regional fishery organisations that provide a framewok for cooperation on conservation and management of stocks of highly migratory fish.
These fish are listed in Annex I to this Regulation. The main species fished are tuna and certain associated species such as swordfish.
The regional organisations in question are:
- the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Community being a member since 14 November 1997;
- the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Community being a member since 18 September 1995;
- the inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
Recents trends in international law have meant rapid expansion of the activities of regional fishery organisation. Formerly, these were limited essentially to information exchange but the organisations are now adopting recommendations in numerous areas, notably on control and surveillance measures covering by satellite, transhipments and landings, and checks on non-contracting parties and stateless vessels.
The recommendations from the ICCAT have become obligatory and for the Community and should therefore be implemented.
Certain obligations have been transposed by Council Regulation 1351/1999/EC, Council Regulation 2742/1999/EC. For reasons of clarity these measures should be incorporated into a single Regulation, repealing and replacing the former Regulation.
Before 15 June each year Member States shall send the Commission a national report, using the layout adopted by ICCAT and including :
- information on implementation of the satellite surveillance system and,
- an 'ICCAT declaration table' for each fishery accompanied by comments inter alia on breaches of the tolerance margins set by ICCAT for the minimum sizes of certain species and the action taken or to be taken. Member States shall also say how sport fishing for fish is regulated and give details of any transhipment operations involving their vessels during the pervious year.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 23/10/2001.�