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What is IUU?
Documents Related to IUU Fishing
- Flag states may request the assistance of any other State
- States shall cooperate to ensure compliance
- States shall assist each other in identifying vessels
- States shall make evidence available to prosecuting authorities
- Outcome of investigations shall be provided to all interested States www.oceansatlas.org
FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF)(1995)
- States should, . . . , within the framework of subregional or regional fisheries management organizations or arrangements, cooperate to establish systems for monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement
www.fao.org
United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) (1995)
- Elaborates general principles concerning conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks;
- Applies the concept of the precautionary approach to the conservation and management of these stocks;
- Emphasizes the special role of regional fisheries management organizations in the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks;
- Elaborates upon the obligation of states to cooperate in the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks. This includes a duty upon States not to authorize vessels to fish for such fish stocks unless the State is party to, or co-operates with, any sub-regional or regional fisheries management organization or arrangement established and which has competence to establish conservation and management measures for the stock concerned;
- Elaborates upon the obligations of states with respect to vessels flying their flag on the high seas;
- Introduces innovative enforcement provisions for the high seas, and
- Introduces provisions with respect to the requirements of developing states. www.oceansatlas.org
International Plan of Action to Combat IUU (IPOA-IUU) (2001)
- States should undertake comprehensive and effective MCS at all levels
- implement permit schemes
- maintain a vessel/owner/operator register
- implement a vessel monitoring system
- train MCS personnel
- plan, fund and undertake MCS Ops
- establish and maintain systems for the acquisition, storage and dissemination of MCS data, taking into account applicable confidentiality requirements)
www.fao.org
Implementation plan for International Plan of Action to Combat IUU
www.fao.org
High Seas Task Force (2003 - 2006)
- Proposal 1 - commit resources to the existing voluntary International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Network to enable it to become an international network with dedicated resources, analytical capacity and the ability to provide training and support to developing countries.
- Proposal 2 - develop a global information system on high seas fishing vessels.
- Proposal 3 - work together in encouraging countries to become parties to relevant agreements such as the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement
- Proposal 4 - identify where leverage may be brought to bear and provide added impetus to existing initiatives (e.g., developing guidance for RFMOs).
- Proposal 5 - develop a preliminary set of guidelines on flag state performance. Recognizing responsible flag state and port state behavior is central to strong deterrence of IUU fishing.
- Proposal 6 - sets out a range of measures aimed at improving port state controls over IUU.
- Proposal 7 - develop approaches for improving methods of assessing and monitoring IUU fishing activity and bycatch, and incorporating these into stock assessments
- Proposal 8 - initiate a process to evaluate and then support vulnerable developing countries to adopt relevant Task Force measures.
- Proposal 9 - focuses on the use of information technology in exposing, deterring and enforcing IUU fishing. The proposal will focus on the role of remote vessel monitoring systems in tackling IUU fishing and includes the development of internationally accepted codes of practice for its correct application, with particular concern for security, reliability and data sharing.
www.high-seas.org
- The IPOA-IUU reflects international recognition of the potential contribution of RFMOs by identifying a toolbox of actions and measures for their consideration and use as appropriate.
Model Port State Measures (2007)
- Addresses, in general terms:
- Issues relating to the inspection of vessels while they are in port,
- Actions to be taken when an inspector finds there is reasonable evidence for believing that a foreign fishing vessel has engaged in, or supported, IUU fishing activities, and
- Information that the port State should provide to the flag State.
www.fao.org