Convention Area of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO): management, conservation and control measures

The European Parliament adopted by 630 votes to 27, with 19 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention Area of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO).

The matter was referred back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations.

As a reminder, the Commission’s proposal aims to transpose the 15 Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs) adopted by the SPRFMO to date, covering a range of matters from IUU fishing to measures to reduce seabird mortality and exploratory fishing.

The main amendments adopted in plenary aim to:

• change the definition of ‘SPRFMO Convention Area’ by indicating that it shall mean the geographical area marked out in Article 5 of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean;
• modify the definition of ‘fishing vessel’ to adopt the definition set out in the SPRFMO Convention – any vessel used or intended for fishing, including fish processing vessels, support ships, carrier vessels and any other vessel directly engaged in fishing operations;
• modify the definition of ‘bottom fishing footprint’ by specifying that the spatial extent of bottom fishing in the SPRFMO Convention Area during the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006;
• prohibit the use of large-scale pelagic driftnets (which is more than 2.5 kilometres in length) and all deepwater gillnets throughout the SPRFMO Convention Area. Flag Member States whose vessels seek to transit the SPRFMO Convention Area with gillnets on board shall ensure their vessels operate a vessel monitoring system (VMS) polling once every two hours while in the SPRFMO Convention Area and submit VMS position reports to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 30 days of the vessel leaving the SPRFMO Convention Area;
• provide that Member States shall use transparent and objective criteria, including those of an environmental, social and economic nature when allocating the fishing opportunities for jack mackerel stocks available to them. Member States shall also endeavour to distribute national quotas fairly among the various fleet segments giving special consideration to traditional and artisanal fishing, and to provide incentives to Union fishing vessels deploying selective fishing gear or using fishing techniques with reduced environmental impact.