Implementation of IPOA/IUU - International MCS Network

40supported IUU fishing. For example, a port State may have received earliernotification from another State or from a RFMO that a particular vessel wassighted fishing in a closed area or using prohibited fishing gear. Informationobtained from a vessel seeking port entry may indicate that the vessel in questionmay be the one that was the subject of the earlier notice. If so, the port Statecould deny the request for access altogether or, alternatively, grant the vesselaccess but subject it to a thorough inspection while in port.A State should only grant foreign fishing vessels access to its portswhere the State has the capability to conduct vessel inspections. During suchinspections, a port State should collect at least the following information, whichshould be provided to the flag State and, where appropriate, to the relevantRFMO:the flag State of the vessel and identification detailsname, nationality, and qualifications of the master and the fishingmasterfishing gearcatch on board, including origin, species, form, and quantitywhere appropriate, other information required by a RFMO orinternational agreementtotal landed and transshipped catchThe information collected in the course of a vessel inspection will givethe port State an even stronger basis on which to determine whether the vesselhas engaged in or supported IUU fishing. If the port State has reasonablegrounds 69 for suspecting that a vessel in its port has done so, the IPOA-IUU callson the port State:not to allow the vessel to land or transship fish in its portimmediately to report the matter to the flag Stateif the suspected IUU fishing may have taken place in waters underthe jurisdiction of another State or in waters under the purview of aRFMO, immediately report the matter to that State and/or RFMOas wellIn some circumstances, the port State may take additional action. Forexample, if the suspected IUU fishing may have taken place in waters under thejurisdiction of the port State, that State has the responsibility to exercise its69 Paragraph 59 of the IPOA-IUU calls for certain actions by a port State when it has“reasonable grounds” to suspect that a vessel has engaged in or supported IUU fishing.Paragraph 56 calls upon a port State to deny a vessel the ability to land or transship fish inport when it has “clear evidence” that the vessel has engaged in IUU fishing.