PROPOSAL TO STRENGTHEN CCAMLR’S PORT INSPECTION SCHEME TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING

Proposal to Strengthen CCAMLR’s Port Inspection Scheme

Delegations of the United States and the European Union

In 2002, the Commission adopted conservation measure 10-03, Port Inspections of Vessels

Carrying Toothfish. In 2008 and 2009, the Commission adopted amendments to conservation

measure 10-03 to clarify requirements for port inspections for vessels carrying Dissostichus

spp., and to improve compliance with that measure.

Since the Commission’s 2009 annual meeting, the FAO Conference adopted the Agreement on

Port Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)

Fishing (FAO Agreement). The FAO Agreement sets minimum standards for port state

measures including the conduct of fishing vessel inspections and the training of inspectors.

IUU fishing continues to be a problem in the Convention Area. The goal of this proposal is to

address the continuing problem of IUU fishing by strengthening CCAMLR’s existing scheme

on port inspections through the expansion of its scope and the implementation of minimum

standards consistent with the FAO Agreement. Moving towards a harmonized set of minimum

standards should ultimately facilitate Members’ compliance with Conservation Measure 10-03.

In our view, this proposal complements well and enhances the improvements made in 2008

and 2009 to CM 10-03. We look forward to further discussing this proposal with Members of

the Commission. The proposal is as follows:

The Commission,

CONCERNED by the fact that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in

the CAMLR Convention Area undermine the effectiveness of CCAMLR conservation

measures;

RECALLING the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Combat IUU Fishing

endorsed by the FAO Committee on Fisheries;

RECOGNIZING that port State measures provide a powerful and cost-effective means of

preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing;

RECOGNIZING that measures to combat IUU fishing should build on the primary

responsibility of flag States and use all available jurisdiction in accordance with

international law, including port State measures, coastal State measures, market related

measures and measures to ensure that nationals do not support or engage in IUU fishing;