Conservation of fishery resources: catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Gabriel MATO (EPP, ES) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 640/2010.

The committee responsible recommended that Parliament adopt its position at first reading taking over the Commission proposal.

This proposal sets out the rules for a Union Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Programme in order to implement conservation and management measures adopted by ICCAT, under its Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Scheme, the purpose of which is to identify the origin of all Bluefin tuna.

Under the proposal, the recording and validation of catches and subsequent trade events of Bluefin tuna would be performed through an electronic Bluefin tuna catch document system (eBCD) which has been functioning since 2017 and which Member States and operators already use. The proposal stipulates that the electronic system can be replaced, exceptionally, by paper documents (the BCD, Bluefin Tuna Catch Document), equivalent to the electronic system requirements.

In addition, the proposal:

- establishes general provisions on the use of Bluefin catch and re-export documents and sets rules for the recording and validation of catch and subsequent trade events of Bluefin tuna. Specific rules are set for tagged fish;

- contains provisions for verification before validation, transmission of data of eBCD users and annual reporting to ICCAT;

- proposes extensive use of delegated acts to modify the basic act in future.