Compliance

The Compliance Committee was formally created in 2002 by the adoption of Resolution 02/03 Terms of reference for the IOTC Compliance Committee which was superseded in 2010 at the Fourteenth Session of the Commission by Resolution 10/09 Terms of reference for the IOTC Compliance Committee.  The elements of Resolution 10/09 have since the 18th Session of the Commission been included in Appendix V of the IOTC Rules of Procedure.  The Compliance Committee is responsible for reviewing all aspects of CPCs individual compliance with IOTC conservation and management measures in the IOTC Area and report directly to the Commission on its deliberations and recommendations.

The primary responsibility of the Compliance Committee is to monitor compliance with respect to implementation of IOTC Conservation and Management Measures by CPCs. The monitoring is conducted through the assessment of reports provided by CPCs. Under the IOTC Agreement, Article X, and through Appendix V of the IOTC Rules of Procedure, CPCs are required to report on their progress of implementation (Report of Implementation) and on compliance issues (Compliance Questionnaire). Monitoring of compliance is as well conducted through the assessment of data reporting and information reported as per reporting requirements set in the various resolutions.

A Compliance Section exist within the IOTC Secretariat and its primary function is to assist the Compliance Committee in its work to regularly review and assess compliance by Members and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties (CPCs) in the implementation of the IOTC Conservation and Management Measures.  The Compliance Section also provides support to CPCs in the implementation of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) tools adopted by the Commission.

The Compliance Section is also responsible for maintaining some of the resources available in the IOTC website, e.g. Record of Authorized Vessels, Active Vessels List, IUU Vessels List, List of Designated Port, the IOTC Bigeye Tuna Statistical Document Programme, information on the official authorisation to fish outside National Jurisdictions, information on the official fishing logbook and information on the official coastal State fishing License.