Implementation of IPOA/IUU - International MCS Network

30at sea whatsoever. 50 At a minimum, flag States should require all their vesselsengaged in transshipment of fish at sea to report the information set forth inparagraph 49 of the IPOA-IUU.4.5 Other Control MeasuresBy creating a system for comprehensive registration of fishing vessels,by maintaining a comprehensive record of those vessels, by prohibiting vesselsfrom fishing without express authorizations to fish, by carefully consideringwhether to grant such authorizations to fish, and by not registering fishingvessels that it is not prepared to authorize to fish, a flag State will haveestablished the formal (or legal) basis for exercising its responsibilities withrespect to the fishing activities of its vessels.To achieve actual control over those vessels, a flag State should choosefrom a variety of practical tools described in the IPOA-IUU.For example, a flag State should have some means to know where itsvessels are located, if not at each moment, then at least at regular and frequentintervals. Typical tools for tracking vessels include mandatory position reportingby radio and mandatory maintenance of logbooks with frequent recording ofvessel position. Indeed, acceptance of these requirements by vessel operatorsshould be necessary before issuing an authorization to fish.Unfortunately, while legitimate vessel operators may reliably complywith these requirements, IUU fishers often do not. A flag State should thereforedevelop some independent means of verifying the location of their vessels at sea.As discussed above, VMS is one means of doing this. The costs of creating andmaintaining VMS regimes has fallen significantly in recent years, even while thetechnology has dramatically improved. For some fisheries, particularly those thattake place in remote regions, VMS may be the only reliable method of trackingvessels at sea.Another tool is the placement of independent observers on boardvessels, who can monitor vessel positions as well as observe fishing operations.The costs of training observers and of providing for their salary and sustenancecan be high. The placement of observers aboard small vessels may also beimpractical. Despite these obstacles, the number and scope of observer programshas grown substantially in recent years.50 For further background information and the operational aspects of the minimum termsand conditions, see T. Aqorau, Illegal Fishing and Fisheries Law Enforcement in SmallIsland Developing States: The Pacific Islands Experience, The International Journal ofMarine and Coastal Law, Vol. 12, No. 1, 45-46.