E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2006-2007 (II)
Commission also asked Togo to supply information in relation to Togo’s fleet, such as number of vessels and
size of tonnage, the monitoring, control and surveillance measures for your fleet, the total catch of tuna and tunalike
species from the ICCAT Convention area for 2007 and previous years, and Togo’s process and rules for
vessel registration.
At its 2006 meeting the Commission expressed very serious concerns in relation to the fact that Togo did not
respond to the Commissions previous correspondence. The identification of Togo as a non-Contracting Party
engaged in activities deemed to undermine ICCAT conservation and management measures was revoked in
2004, on the understanding that Togo would collaborate with ICCAT in its efforts to improve it fisheries
management of ICCAT species. Failure to respond to the issues raised by the Commission has led to the reidentification
of Togo as a country which may be undermining the ICCAT conservation and management
efforts- The Commission again requests Togo to supply information on its fisheries and its monitoring and
control measures, and to report any catches of tuna and tuna-like species made in the ICCAT Convention area,
in order to avoid further action being taken under the Recommendation by ICCAT Concerning Trade Measures
[Rec. 06-13], which would be the imposition of trade sanctions.
The Commission will again review the situation of Togo at its next meeting, scheduled for November 17-24, in a
place which will be determined later. Information concerning actions taken by Togo relative to these matters
should, therefore, be submitted to ICCAT at least 30 days prior to that meeting. If it is determined that Togo has
not rectified the situation and continues to diminish the effectiveness of ICCAT, the Commission may once
again take non-discriminatory trade restrictive measures on Atlantic tuna and tuna-like species and their products
from Togo.
In closing, the Commission would like to invite Togo to participate in the 2008 ICCAT meeting as an observer.
Information concerning this meeting will be forwarded in due course. Further, the Commission would remind
Togo that it can join ICCAT or seek Cooperating Status if Togo 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 Recommendation by ICCAT on Criteria for Attaining the Status of Cooperating Non-
Contracting Party, Entity, or Fishing Entity in ICCAT [Rec. 03-20]. Please note that all ICCAT
Recommendations and Resolutions can be downloaded from the ICCAT web site, www.iccat.int, or are available
from the ICCAT Secretariat on request.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters. Please accept assurances of my highest consideration.
4.4 Requesting information
− Sierra Leone
On behalf of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), I am writing to
request any information which you may be able to supply in relation to two high seas fishing vessels, believed to
be registered to the Sierra Leone International Ship Registry, with the following characteristics:
1) Name: Maria
Registration number: FN 003882
Owner: Maria Fishery Co. Ltd
2) Name: Bigeye
Registration number: FN 003883
Owner: Maria Fishery Co. Ltd.
The principle mandate of ICCAT is to maintain the populations of tuna and tuna-like species at levels which will
permit the maximum sustainable catch for food and other purposes. For this purpose, ICCAT adopts stringent
conservation and management measures for those fish stocks requiring such measures according to scientific
evidence.
As you may be aware, on the basis of information concerning illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
activities by these two vessels, believed to be flying the flag of Sierra Leone, ICCAT identified Sierra Leone as a
non-contracting party whose actions may be undermining the ICCAT conservation and management measures.
The national authorities of Sierra Leone have informed ICCAT that these vessels are not on their national
register, but at the 20 th Regular Meeting of the Commission, some evidence has come to light that they may be
registered to the international register, and that the national authorities may not be aware of such registration. I
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