Conservation of fishery resources: tuna tracking and verification system, dolphin conservation

PURPOSE: The establishment of a tuna tracking and verification system. CONTENT: As a member of the regional fisheries organisation (RFO), and with fishing interests in the Eastern Pacific, the EU is now seeking to join the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). In the interim period and prior to joining the IATTC the EU has decided to apply guidelines set out under the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme, AIDCP. Contracting parties to the AIDCP decided in July 1999 to establish a system to track and verify tuna caught in the Agreement's area of application, with a view to identifying tuna caught without any risk to dolphins. In order to apply this tuna tracking and verification system fully, the provisions of the AIDCP needs to be transposed into Community law by means of a Council Regulation. This proposal is in line with Community principles on transposing RFO recommendations and the practice resulting from the most recent transpositions adopted by the Council.�