E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2002-2003 (II)
not be allocated more than 50% of the South Atlantic albacore TAC. This will require a shift in allocation
(based on existing catch performance) away from Chinese Taipei to the South Atlantic coastal states fishing
albacore in the South Atlantic. Under a proposed TAC of 31,000 t, this must mean a TAC allocation of no
more than 15,500 t to distant water fleets (mainly Chinese Taipei), but including Japan and the EU), and no
less than 15,500 t to coastal states (mainly South Africa and Namibia, but including Brazil and others).
2. In determining past performance, the most recent 5-year period preceding any review of allocation should be
used as the reference period. At the 2003 ICCAT meeting, past performance should therefore be calculated
over the period 1998-2002. Allocation of quota shares between distant water fleets, within the overall
allocation to such fleets, should be proportional to their recent past performance over this period.
3. In determining coastal state allocations, there must be a balance between consideration of recent past
performance, and evaluation of each state's genuine need and capacity for development of their albacore
fishery. However, such development should primarily be aimed at development of a fishery using each
state's own vessels, under their own flags. While charter arrangements may form an initial, temporary
component of such development, allocations should not be granted to support ongoing chartering of otherflag
vessels, particularly from distant water, or non-ICCAT member, fleets.
4. Ultimately, once all participating states have had adequate opportunity to develop their fisheries, recent past
performance should serve as the best measure of any state's ability, capacity and need to fish a stock. South
Africa specifically notes that all states actively fishing for albacore in the South Atlantic Ocean have had
more then 10 years of participation in which to develop their fisheries.
5. Allocation of TAC shares cannot remain fixed in perpetuity. There are many reasons why fishing capacities
and aspirations may change over time (inter alia shifts in targeting, economic constraints, changes in
resource distribution, decrease and/or development in fisheries). Past performance over some agreed range
of recent years should therefore be used to periodically revise allocations, together with other relevant
considerations.
Incorporation and interpretation of specific ICCAT Allocation Criteria
South Africa does not believe that it is feasible, nor that it is desirable, to attempt to develop a mathematical
sharing formula for South Atlantic albacore, incorporating specific measures and weightings of the ICCAT
Criteria for the Allocation of Fishing Possibilities. Disagreement over incorporation, measurement and
weighting of the various criteria will certainly make this impossible. Nonetheless, any agreed sharing
arrangement for albacore must be soundly based on the principles underlying the ICCAT allocation criteria, and
South Atlantic albacore fishing nations need to give careful consideration to which of the allocation criteria are
relevant to South Atlantic albacore, and how these should be taken into account in negotiating country quota
shares within an agreed South Atlantic albacore TAC.
With regard to specific interpretation of the various ICCAT Allocation Criteria, South Africa considers the
following ICCAT Allocation Criteria to be particularly relevant to southern albacore, and interprets these as
follows:
A. Criteria relating to past/present fishing activity of qualifying participants
4. Historical catches of qualifying participants.
5. The interests, fishing patterns and fishing practices of qualifying participants.
South Africa recognizes the importance of past performance on southern albacore, both in terms of past albacore
catches, and in terms of past history of participation in the South Atlantic albacore fishery, when developing
sharing arrangements for this stock. This should be balanced against the genuine need of South Atlantic coastal
states to develop their own albacore fisheries in the South Atlantic Ocean. However, a clear emphasis must be
placed on development by coastal states that intend to use their own vessels, under their own flags, to target
South Atlantic albacore.
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