Management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention area

The European Parliament adopted by 663 votes to 17, with 15 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention area and amending Council Regulation (EU) No 520/2007.

Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure by taking over the proposal to amend Council Regulation (EC) No 520/2007 to transpose into EU law the control, conservation and management measures adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

The proposal aims to take into account changes that have occurred since the adoption of Council Regulation (EC) No 520/2007 but which have not yet been transposed into EU law. It lays down management, conservation and control measures relating to fishing in the IATTC area and to the stocks of tuna and tuna-like species, other species caught by vessels fishing for tuna and tuna-like species and species belonging to the same ecosystem. The regulation would apply to EU vessels fishing in the IATTC Convention area.

The proposed Regulation:

- deals with conservation and management measures, including provisions relevant to purse-seine vessels fishing for tropical tuna, prohibition of fishing on data buoys, provisions concerning fishing in the vicinity of Fish Aggregating Devices, their deployment, design and set of rules for transhipment in port;

- sets out measures designed to protect certain marine species present in the area covered by the IATTC Convention, such as oceanic white-tip, silky, and hammerhead sharks and mobulid rays. These measures include data provision and release duties, as well as measures related to the protection of sea turtles, seabirds and dolphins;

- contains provisions for the IATTC observer scheme: Member States should ensure that longline vessels flying their flag carry a scientific observer on board to cover at least 5 % of the fishing effort made by their vessels greater than 20 metres in length overall;

- sets vessel requirements, including those related to the IATTC Regional Vessel Register, to reporting duties and to the protocol for the sealing of wells;

- contains information on the reporting duties related to the data statistical programme, and requirements for the bigeye tuna document programme;

- provides for delegated powers granted to the Commission to cater for amendments to measures, which are expected to be frequent and to make sure that Union fishing vessels are put on equal footing with vessels of other Contracting Parties to the IATTC.