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Final <strong>Report</strong>
RoO Derogation under the PACP-IEPA
i) Regional MCS capabilities
It is appropriate here to consider WCPFC and FFA capability together, as FFA activity has been
ongoing for some years, covers much of the WCPO and has recently been guided by the adoption of
a joint MCS strategy in March 2010, much of which is applicable beyond the FFA area of
competence. WCPFC activity, on the other hand, has been more recent, with the Commission only
established in 2004. Both organizations work together in the delivery of services to members, and
FFA acts as an MCS service provider to WCPC in some cases (e.g. regional VMS).
Fishing vessel registers
Vessel register lists are used by both organizations as a key verification tool. The WCPFC Convention
establishes a requirement 203 for each member to maintain a record of fishing vessels that are
authorized to fish in the Convention area beyond that member’s area of national jurisdiction and, in
turn, for the WCPFC to maintain its own central database of these national submissions. 204 Subject
to additions, deletions, updates and any withdrawal of authorization, this WCPFC Register of Fishing
Vessels (RFV) acts as a verification tool to ensure that fishing vessels are legally operating in the
Convention Area. Information on authorized vessels, in accordance with Annex 4 of the Convention,
is provided by members (CCMs) annually and includes all vessel types involved in the fishery (e.g.
fishing vessels, carriers, bunker vessels). There are currently 5,948 vessels on the RFV, including 723
purse seine vessels. WCPFC is now implementing a direct entry scheme for CCMs to enter their own
data on the RFV. Although good progress has been made with the RFV in its short history, WCPFC 8
is set to adopt a US-proposed set of standards, specifications and procedures (SSPs) for the RFV “to
ensure that information in the RFV is complete, up-to-date, accurate, unambiguous and comparable
across flag states, and to make the maintenance of the RFV cost-effective for CCMs and the
Secretariat”. 205
Vessels wishing to fish in the EEZs of FFA members must be in good standing on the Regional Vessel
Register maintained by FFA, and must also register on the WCPFC RFV. The RVR applies for one year,
and registration can now be sought at any time during the year. Vessel data are supplied by fishing
companies rather than CCMs. This registration is in addition to any national registration and
licensing requirements. As of 1-10 October 2011, there were 1,327 vessels in good standing on the
FFA RVR, with 260 of those purse seine vessels. 206
There is some duplication between the two systems, and some issues with vessel names. There are
some pending changes in international standards for registration, with the Lloyd’s Fair Play Universal
Vessel Indicator (UVI) soon to be adopted by FFA (and IATTC), with some changes then becoming
necessary to the existing WCPFC Convention Annex 4 requirements. In VMS terms there is also a
need for matching vessel tracking agreement forms (VTAF), and as catch documentation schemes
are developed, an urgent need to harmonize information requirements, especially if universal catch
documentation schemes (CDS) are to be adopted.
Vessel monitoring systems
The Commission’s VMS, which became operational in April 2009, monitors vessels which fish
exclusively on the high seas, in two or more EEZs, or in one EEZ and on the high seas. At the end of
2009, over 2,000 vessels were on the system and that number is currently 2,381 with VTAF received,
203 WCFPC 2000; Convention Art. 22, paras 4, 5 and 6.
204 WCPFC 2000; Convention Art 22, para 7; CMM 2004-01 and subsequent revisions.
205 WCPFC 2011h.
206
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