E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2012-2013 (I)
Electronic Bluefin Catch Documentation Scheme (eBCD): At its 2011 meeting, ICCAT put forward a plan to
implement an electronic version of the Bluefin Catch Document (eBCD) system by the start of the purse seine
fishing season in May 2013. While there has been progress in designing and testing the system, there are also
reports that there have been delays and setbacks during the process. Pew welcomes the recommendations in the
“Draft Recommendation by ICCAT Amending Recommendation 11-21 on an Electronic Bluefin Tuna Catch
Document (eBCD) Programme” from Japan and the European Union which would guarantee that the eBCD
system is fully implemented by the agreed upon deadline of May 16, 2013. Further, Pew believes that CPCs
should NOT be allowed to export bluefin tuna without an eBCD and no importing state should accept tuna
without an eBCD after May 16, 2013.
Additionally, while an eBCD pilot scheme is a good start and in line with best practices, there are a number of
loopholes and weaknesses that have the potential to undermine the effectiveness of the eBCD and diminish its
value to ICCAT. As highlighted in an October 2012 report by electronic catch documentation expert Natasha
Slicer, it is critical that the following issues are addressed by the eBCD contractor prior to implementation in
2013:
• Ensure that only the Secretariat has authority to edit static eBCD information such as vessel and farm
information and that national fisheries or customs-related agencies (not Chambers of Commerce) have
authority to validate eBCD data;
• Ensure that the eBCD only allows users to input data that falls within established, valid ranges (e.g.,
conversion factors and growth rates) to avoid misreporting or fraudulent entries;
• Set-up automatic alerts to the Secretariat and CPC when changes are made to eBCD records and to
importing CPCs to signal incoming trade; and
• Require that all fish, including tagged fish, are recorded in the eBCD system.
Additionally, similar to catch documentation data publications by the Commission for the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), ICCAT should publish aggregated eBCD statistics. As per the
SCRS recommendation coming out of the stock assessment meeting, ICCAT should develop a new working
group, with international trade experts, to assess trade data so that this data can be compared to eBCD data and
used to corroborate reported total catch.
Most importantly, all ICCAT member governments should implement the eBCD before the May 2013
Mediterranean purse fishing season to avoid problems associated with a dual-format implementation that would
undermine the overall effectiveness of the eBCD. We recommend that CPCs not be allowed to export bluefin
tuna without an eBCD and no importing state should accept bluefin tuna without an eBCD, after May 16, 2013.
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