E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2002-2003 (II)
Grenadines was working, noting additional concern that vessels might use such a “back door” to gain entry into
the Atlantic. The Observer from St. Vincent and the Grenadines committed to continue to improve aspects of
monitoring, control and surveillance, including catch verification and to eliminate any support of IUU fishing. In
support of this commitment, St. Vincent and the Grenadines agreed to work with Japan, the United States and
Chinese Taipei to address remaining harvest and vessel issues. Statements by St. Vincent and the Grenadines
appear in Appendix 8 to ANNEX 10.
Based on these discussions, the Working Group agreed to allow the provisions in the Recommendation By
ICCAT Concerning the Trade Sanction Against St. Vincent and the Grenadines [Ref. 02-20] to take effect (i.e.,
lifting of sanctions). The Working Group also agreed that a letter be sent from the Commission to St. Vincent
and the Grenadines requesting additional information on their vessels on the IUU list and the confirmation of
reported albacore harvests (attached as Appendix 5.18 to ANNEX 10).
Thailand
The Parties engaged in discussions regarding the trade and sighting information concerning the vessel “Green
Bay No. II” in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and the subsequent denial by Thailand that this vessel is on its registry. The
PWG agreed to send another letter from the Commission requesting clarification of the vessel registration
(attached as Appendix 5.19 to ANNEX 10), and attaching all available documentary evidence 1 .
Togo
The Delegate from the EC reminded the Parties that swordfish from Togo had been imported in recent years,
although the ocean of origin remained unclear. He also noted that vessels flagged to Togo and carrying
swordfish have attempted to call at EC ports in the past. To date, Togo has reported no Atlantic swordfish catch
data to ICCAT; thus, any harvests of this stock by vessels flagged to Togo are taking place outside the ICCAT
management regime. It was also noted that no response had been received from Togo regarding the
Commission’s letter sent following the 2002 meeting. The Working Group agreed to identify Togo under the
Swordfish Action Plan and to seek additional information from Togo regarding its swordfish harvest. The letter
to Togo is attached as Appendix 5.20 to ANNEX 10.
Summary
After completing a case-by-case review of compliance by non-Contracting Parties, Entities or Fishing Entities,
the Working Group agreed to forward the “Summary Table of Information for 2003 PWG Actions” to the
Plenary for adoption (attached as Appendix 4 to ANNEX 10).
5.2 Requests for Cooperating Status
5.2.1 Criteria for attaining the status of Cooperating non-Contracting Party, Entity or Fishing Entity
The Delegate of the EC commented that this meeting of the PWG was unusual in that the Executive Secretaries
of both the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
(IATTC) were present, and that ICCAT might take this opportunity to build closer ties between relevant tuna
commissions given their common problems. The Delegate then introduced a proposal concerning attaining the
status of Cooperating Non-Contracting Party, Entity or Fishing Entity.
The Delegate of the EC expressed the intent that this proposal would improve the current evaluation process by
explicitly stating the multiple requirements for receiving Cooperating Party status. Of particular concern was the
need for timely and accurate data submission to the Commission. The Delegate observed that this proposal was
very similar to that recently approved by the IATTC.
The Delegate from Japan noted the similarity that the new provisions in the EC proposal shared with the IOTC
and the IATTC instruments regarding Cooperating Party status, and stressed that ICCAT should seek to have a
consistent approach with other tuna RFMOs. The Delegate from Canada agreed with the standardization process
and noted that the cooperation between RFMOs was consistent with the responsibilities designated under the
United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement.
The Delegate of China strongly supported the proposal, especially regarding the consideration of the behavior of
the applicants in other fora, but questioned the need stated in this proposal for the catch history of the applicant.
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