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

The European Parliament adopted by 600 votes to 1, with 5 abstentions, a legislative resolution 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 European Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure.

This Regulation establishes a Union bluefin tuna catch documentation programme, in order to implement the bluefin tuna catch documentation scheme adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and the mandatory use of the electronic BCD (eBCD) system, with a view to identifying the origin of all bluefin tuna caught, in order to support the implementation of ICCAT conservation and management measures.

The Regulation does not apply to domestic trade, export, import and re-export of fish parts other than the meat, such as heads, eyes, roes, guts and tails.

Under this Regulation, the eBCD system should be used for any catch, landing, transfer, including intra- and inter-farm transfers, transhipment, caging, harvest, domestic trade, import, export or re-export of bluefin tuna.

A BCD should be completed in one of the official languages of ICCAT (English, French or Spanish), for each bluefin tuna caught by a fishing vessel or trap, transferred, landed or transhipped at ports by a fishing vessel or trap, or caged or harvested by farms.

The Regulation also provides that Member States should:

- ensure that each lot of bluefin tuna which is re-exported from its territory is accompanied by a validated bluefin tuna re-export certificate (BFTRC);

- ensure that their competent authorities identify each lot of bluefin tuna landed in, domestically traded in, imported into, or exported or re-exported from, their territory, and request and examine the validated BCD(s) and related documentation of each lot of bluefin tuna;

- ensure that their users are registered in the eBCD system.

When personal data are processed in the context of the application of this Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 are applicable, and it should be ensured that the obligations relating to the protection of personal data are respected at all times and at all levels.

The amending Regulation includes:

- Annex I on data to be included in the bluefin tuna catch document (BCD);

- Annex II on the ICCAT bluefin tuna catch document;

- Annex III on instructions for the issuing, numbering, completion and validation of the bluefin tuna catch document (BCD).