The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC),
RECOGNISING the need for action to ensure the achievement of IOTC objectives to conserve and manage bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna in the IOTC area of competence;
RECOGNISING that the international community has recognised both ethical concerns and policy regarding discards of species in several international instruments and statements, including United Nations General Assembly resolutions (A/RES/49/118 (1994); A/RES/50/25 (1996); A/RES/51/36 (1996); A/RES/52/29 (1997); A/RES/53/33 (1998);A/RES/55/8 (2000); and A/RES/57/142 (2002)), United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement); The Rome Consensus on World Fisheries adopted by the FAO Ministerial Conference on Fisheries, Rome, 14–15 March 1995; the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the FAO International Plan of Action (IPOA) on sharks; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD);
RECALLING that the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement has underlined the importance of ensuring the conservationand optimum utilisation of highly migratory species through the action of regional fishery bodies such as the IOTC, and provides that “States should minimize ... discards, ..., catch of non target species, both fish and non-fish species, andimpacts on associated or dependent species, in particular endangered species...”;
RECALLING that The Rome Consensus on World Fisheries adopted by the FAO Ministerial Conference on Fisheries, Rome, 14–15 March 1995, provides that “States should…reduce bycatches, fish discards…”;
RECALLING that the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries provides that “States should take appropriate measures to minimize waste, discards…collect information on discards ...; ... take account of discards (in the precautionary approach) ...; develop technologies that minimize discards ...; use of selective gear to minimize discards”;
RECALLING that the Commission adopted Resolution 12/01 On the implementation of the precautionary approach;
CONCERNED about the morally unacceptable waste and the impact of unsustainable fishing practices upon the oceanic environment, represented by the discarding of tunas and non-target species in the purse seine fishery for tunas in the Indian Ocean;
CONSIDERING the important volume of tuna and non-targeted species discarded in the purse seine fishery for tunas in the Indian Ocean;
CONSIDERING the Millennium Development Goals, particularly Goal Number 2 aims to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”.
ADOPTS, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article IX of the IOTC Agreement, that:
RETENTION OF TARGETED TUNA SPECIES
RETENTION OF NON-TARGETED SPECIES
(i) Where it is determined by the captain of the vessel that tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) and the non-targeted species as listed in Para 2 caught are unfit for human consumption, the following definitions shall be applied:
(ii) Where the captain of a vessel determines that tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) and the non-targeted species as listed in Para 2 were caught during the final set of a trip and there is insufficient storage capacity to accommodate all tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) and the non-targeted species caught in that set. This fish may only be discarded if:
NON-RETENTION
REVIEW
IMPLEMENTATION