Convention area of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission: management, conservation and control measures

PURPOSE: to lay down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: pursuant to Council Decision (EU) 2022/314, the Union is a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean that entered into force on 19 July 2015 and established the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC).

The NPFC adopts conservation and management measures that are binding on Contracting Parties and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties to the NPFC, including on the Union. This proposed Regulation implements for the first time, the NPFC conservation and management measures adopted between 2015 and 2026 relevant for the fishing activities undertaken by Union vessels in the Convention area.

CONTENT: this proposal aims to implement the conservation and management measures (CMMs) adopted by the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean. It aims to ensure that the EU can quickly: (i) implement measures that concern the EU fleet; (ii) ensure a level playing field for operators; and (iii) further support the long-term sustainable management of stocks.

Specifically, the proposal outlines measures to protect marine species, particularly with regard to:

- the protection of sharks and shark fining together with reporting of by-catches;

- the protection of anadromous fish with relevant provisions of reporting of by-catches;

- the retrieval of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded gear;

- the prohibition on release of plastics and other marine pollution.

It also defines monitoring and control measures including rules for:

- chub mackerel monitoring provisions;

- a vessel marking;

- vessel monitoring system (VMS);

- at sea transshipments and transfers, their monitoring in port, and related reporting of target species;

- rules on related to enforcement;

- high seas boarding and inspection, including the definition of serious violations and related enforcement; and

- illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The proposal contains final provisions on reporting obligations, confidentiality and data protection rules, and delegation of powers and the exercise of such delegation.

The delegated powers comprise: (i) chuba mackerel catch monitoring, (ii) automatic transmission of the vessel monitoring system, (iii) duties of the fisheries management centre, (iv) technical specifications of tracking devices, (v) reporting timing and location distances, (vi) monitoring and reporting of transhipment, including regional observer programme, (vii) obligations of the master of the fishing vessels during high seas boarding and inspection, (viii) reporting obligations for fishing activities, (ix)  references to international duties of Member States and annexes to this Regulation.