E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2002-2003 (II)
Appendix 4 to ANNEX 9
234
Commission Chairman’s Special Letters to Contracting Parties
4.1 Letter to Equatorial Guinea indicating continuation of trade measures
This is to advise you that, at its 2003 meeting, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tunas (ICCAT) reviewed the situation of Equatorial Guinea pursuant to its Resolution Concerning the
Unreported and Unregulated Catches by Large-scale Longline Vessels in the Convention Area [Ref. 98-18] and
its Recommendation Regarding Compliance in the Bluefin Tuna and North Atlantic Swordfish Fisheries [Ref.
96-14].
The Commission concluded that as the situation has not changed, the trade restrictive measures on Atlantic
bluefin tuna and its products from Equatorial Guinea adopted at its 1999 meeting and the trade restrictive
measures on bigeye tuna and its products from Equatorial Guinea adopted at its 2000 meeting should not be
lifted and has consequently adopted a Recommendation on the Continuation of Trade Measures Against
Equatorial Guinea [Ref. 00-16].
For your convenience, a copy of the above-mentioned Resolution and Recommendation, the Recommendation
imposing the continuation of trade sanctions on Equatorial Guinea, and our correspondence to you following the
1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 meetings are attached.
The Commission strongly encourages Equatorial Guinea, as a member of ICCAT, to fulfil its obligations to the
organization and rectify the activities of fishing vessels flying its flag.
The Commission would also be very pleased to provide such further information and clarification as you may
require.
4.2 Letter to Panama pursuant to the 1998 Resolution Concerning the Unreported and Unregulated Catches
of Tunas by Large-scale Longline Vessels in the Convention Area [Ref. 98-18]
At its 2003 meeting, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) reviewed the
fishing activities of various non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities under its 1998 Resolution
Concerning the Unreported and Unregulated Catches of Tunas by Large-scale Vessels in the Convention Area
[Ref. 98-18], which is enclosed for your convenience.
That Resolution calls upon ICCAT Contracting Parties, Cooperating non-Contracting Parties, Entities or Fishing
Entities to collect, examine and submit to ICCAT import and landing data and associated information on
imported frozen tunas and tuna-like products. Based on an annual review of this and other data, ICCAT will
identify those Contracting Parties, non-Contracting Parties, Entities and Fishing Entities to take all necessary
corrective action, and will review those actions at its subsequent annual meeting. If those actions are judged
insufficient, ICCAT will recommend effective measures, if necessary including non-discriminatory trade
restrictive measures, on the subject species for which they are currently no trade restrictions.
The information available to ICCAT at its 2003 meeting included trade data submitted by Contracting Parties, as
well as other information. Enclosed for your convenience is a list of large-scale longline vessels compiled form
this data, many of which are believed to have fished for tuna and tuna-like species in the ICCAT Convention
area. A number of these vessels are registered to Panama. In addition, trade data available to ICCAT indicate that
Panama had exported a significant amount of Atlantic bigeye tuna to Japan in 2001, and other trade data indicate
that large-scale longline vessels of Panama may be fishing in a manner than undermined ICCAT conservation
and management measures.
Based on this information, ICCAT decided to maintain the status of identification for Panama under its 1998
Resolution Concerning the Unreported and Unregulated Catches of Tunas by Large-scale Longline Vessels in
the Convention area.
Accordingly, ICCAT hereby requests the Government of Panama to take all necessary measures to ensure that
large-scale longline vessels registered to Panama do not continue to diminish the effectiveness of ICCAT
conservation and management measures, including, if appropriate, the revocation of vessel registration or fishing
licenses of the large-scale vessels concerned.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.