E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2002-2003 (II)
Longline Vessels in the Convention Area [Ref. 98-18], previous decisions taken in accordance with this measure
will remain effective until otherwise decided by the Commission.
In closing, the Commission would like to invite Bolivia to participate in the 2004 ICCAT meeting as an
observer. Further, the Commission would remind Bolivia that it can join ICCAT or seek Cooperating Status if
your country maintains an interest in exploiting species under the purview of ICCAT. With respect to requesting
Cooperating Status, I would draw your attention to the provisions of the newly adopted Recommendation by
ICCAT on Criteria for Attaining the Status of Cooperating Non-Contracting Party, Entity, or Fishing Entity in
ICCAT [Ref. 03-20]. For your convenience, this recommendation is included in the attached Compendium.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters. Please accept assurances of my highest consideration.
5.3 Letter to Cambodia: Regarding Continuance of Bigeye Tuna Trade Restrictive Measures
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is in receipt of the letter from
Chan Dara, Director, Merchant Marine Department, dated 17 December 2002.
I am writing to inform you that ICCAT decided to maintain the trade restrictive measures adopted in accordance
with the 1998 Resolution Concerning the Unreported and Unregulated Catches of Tunas by Large-Scale
Longline Vessels in the Convention Area [Ref. 98-18] in 2000 on bigeye tuna and its products from Cambodia.
As explained in previous communications, the Commission reviews annually fishery related information for the
Convention area relative to both ICCAT members and non-members. During its 2003 review, the Commission
again took note of a number of large-scale tuna longline vessels flagged to Camb odia known to have operated in
the Convention area. The following Cambodian-flagged vessels are on the 2003 ICCAT “List of Large-Scale
Longline Vessels Believed to be Engaged in Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Activities in the
ICCAT Convention Area and Other Areas”:
Name of vessel
Benny 78
Benny 87
Caneta 1
Fu Yuan 668
Guo Ji 908
Kasmina 1
Meng Fa 316
Sofia 6
Owner’s name and location
Tuna King Marine S.A., Belize
Tuna King Marine S.A., Belize
Caneta S.R.L., Argentina
Fu Yuan Fishing Oversea
Lubmain Fishing Service, Malaysia
Stover Trading, British Virgin Islands
Meng Fa Fishery, Chinese Taipei
Cingomar Fishing Company
In addition to the above, the Commission considered Cambodia’s response to ICCAT´s November 2002 letter
regarding trade restrictive measures. While ICCAT welcomes your decision to stop registering fishing vessels,
your response was not sufficient to demonstrate that Cambodia has rectified the fishing activities of its existing
fleet and adopted adequate monitoring and control measures for that fleet. The Commission stressed that ICCAT
members have been operating under a strict management regime of time and area closures, capacity limitations,
and catch limits relative to bigeye tuna to ensure its conservation and that the cooperation of all countries is
required to support the effectiveness of these measures. Given these circumstances, the Commission concluded
that it would not be appropriate to lift the bigeye tuna trade restrictions in place against your country.
The Commission again requests the Government of Cambodia to take the necessary actions to rectify the fishing
activities of its vessels and to fully implement ICCAT´s conservation and management measures, including
reporting catch and effort data to the Commission and instituting measures to ensure appropriate monitoring,
control, and surveillance of its fleet. Rectifying actions --including, as necessary, the revocation of registrations
or fishing licenses of those vessels on the enclosed list--should be reported to the Commission. Information
concerning actions taken by Cambodia with regard to these matters should be submitted to the Commission at
least 30 days prior to its next meeting, scheduled for 15-21November 2004, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
For your information, I am enclosing herewith a Compendium of ICCAT´s Management Recommendations and
Resolutions. It includes a new instrument entitled Resolution by ICCAT Concerning Trade Measures [Ref. 03-
15], adopted by the Commission at its 2003 meeting. The 2003 Resolution both broadens the scope of ICCAT´s
existing trade regime and establishes a more transparent process for the application of trade restrictive measures.
The Commission will use this new Resolution for the first time in 2004 to guide its review of fishery related
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