E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2012-2013 (I)
Although there are differences of views on many important issues, Japan would like to work with other
delegations to find good solutions and sincerely hopes that this annual meeting will be successfully and fruitfully
concluded.
Namibia
The Namibian Delegation would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Authorities of the Kingdom of
Morocco for hosting the 18th Special meeting of ICCAT in this beautiful city of Agadir. Our thanks and
appreciation goes to the Secretariat and the organisers for the excellent meeting arrangements.
We are grateful for the broad membership of ICCAT and the innovativeness and flexibility with which this
Commission has crafted and implemented management measures in the interest of greater sustainable utilisation
of the species under its mandate.
As a developing coastal State, Namibia has devoted valuable, scarce resources to the design and implementation
of a national Fisheries Management regime. Namibia’s Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) system
ranks among the most efficient in the world, conferring full control over all fishing activities and processing
plants.
The quota management of Namibia’s share of marine resources under the purview of ICCAT is incorporated in
our rights-based Individual Quota (IQ) management system, ensuring effective implementation of ICCAT
management and conservation measures under our National Legislation. An autonomous Fisheries Observer
System provides for 70% complete observer coverage on most fishing vessels. Vessel Monitoring System
(VMS) coverage for all trawlers, long liners and surface bait boats under the national VMS regulatory regime
was put into place. Various National Plans of Action for the Management of Fisheries in Namibia have been
implemented to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU).
Namibia would like to thank the Integrated Monitoring Measures (IMM) Working Group who met in Tokyo in
April this year for their excellent proposals regarding the basis to develop a more simplified and easy adoptable
Port Inspection Scheme. We were fortunate to attend this IMM meeting through the special Meeting
Participation Fund established in Rec.11-26. Namibia as a developing coastal State considers the Implementation
of Port State Measures a high priority, especially for the effective Monitoring and Control of Fishing Activities
along the coastal and high seas of African Coastal States, which can be a major area for illegal fishing activities.
Namibia for the past few years is dealing with fishing vessels operating in various RFMOs such as ICCAT,
SEAFO and IOTC that are using Namibian ports for offloading operations due to its convenient location for
vessels operating in the Atlantic Ocean and therefore we have adopted port state measures based on these
Convention Areas and have developed our NPOA-IUU in 2007 to facilitate our port Inspections. The NPOA-
IUU is designed to support the effective implementation of the FAO’s International Plan of Action for Illegal,
Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU). Namibia would also like to thank all other members who
contributed to the outcome of this proposal. Namibia is pleased to see that these proposals will be considered and
adopted at this 18th Special Commission Meeting in Agadir to improve the conservation and management
measures of ICCAT fish stocks. It is in the common interest of all Parties that productivity of the fish stocks and
their economic performance are at their optimal. We are therefore looking forward to the fruitful discussions
over the next few days and to build upon the outcomes to improve the management of ICCAT fish stocks for the
benefit of all members. Namibia wants to wish all the delegates and participants fruitful deliberations.
Tunisia
First of all, the Tunisian delegation would like to thank the Government of Morocco for hosting the 18th Special
Meeting of our Commission, for the excellent organization and for its warm hospitality and wishes every success
for our session.
The analysis of Tunisia’s situation, after its people carried out a pacific revolution in January 2011, has shown
that this country is at a turning point in its history. It is engaged in a process of democratization and is facing
serious structural problems.
The success of this process cannot be achieved without economic and social transition that should respond to the
following two challenges: The economic and social disparities among the regions that must be narrowed down
and youth unemployment that has reached historic level and which must be quickly reduced to restore hope.
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