Accession of the Community to the Agreement creating the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

- OBJECTIVE: to enable the Community to accede to the agreement creating the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, which was concluded by the FAO (of which the Community is a member) in November 1993. The agreement seeks to strengthen international cooperation on the management and conservation of Indian Ocean tuna and related species and provides in particular for measures to be taken for the conservation and rational use of tuna stocks. This measure affects Community vessels which are engaged in fishing for the said species in the Indian Ocean. - COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Decision 95/399/EC relating to the accession of the Community to the agreement creating the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. - SUBSTANCE: The agreement mainly provides for the following: . the setting up of an Indian Ocean Tuna Commission within the framework of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) whose objective will be to promote cooperation between its members with a view to ensuring the conservation and optimal use of the fish stocks covered by the agreement. In this capacity the Commission will permanently monitor the development of fish stocks in its zone of competence and will encourage and coordinate research activities in respect of the stocks covered under the agreement; . zone of competence: the Indian Ocean (statistical zones 51 and 57 of the FAO) and the adjoining seas to the north of the Antarctic convergence; . stocks affected: albacore, skipjack, bigeye tuna, long-finned tuna, southern bluefin tuna, longtail tuna, eastern little tuna, frigate mackerel, bonito, narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, spotted Spanish mackerel, blue mackerel, black makaira, striped marlin, sailfish and swordfish; . implementation: each member is required to introduce measures in its national legislation (including the imposition of sanctions in cases of infringement) in order to implement the provisions laid down by the Tuna Commission. - ENTRY INTO FORCE: the President of the Council (M. P. SOLBES MIRA) is to present the instrument of accession of the Community to the Director General of the FAO. Actual accession takes place when the Tuna Commission approves the request for accession. �