Reform history

1.The release of bluefin tuna from farming cages into the sea shall be recorded by video camera and observed by an ICCAT regional observer, who shall draft and submit a report together with the video records to the ICCAT Secretariat.

2.Where a release order has been issued, the farm operator shall request the deployment of an ICCAT regional observer.

3.The release of bluefin tuna from transport cages or traps into the sea shall be observed by a national observer of the Member State responsible for the towing vessel or trap, who shall draft and submit a report to the responsible Member State control authorities.

4.Before a release operation takes place, Member State control authorities might order a control transfer using standard and/or stereoscopic cameras to estimate the number and weight of the fish that need to be released.

5.Member State authorities may implement any additional measures they consider necessary to guarantee that the release operations take place at the most appropriate time and place in order to increase the probability of the fish going back to the stock. The operator shall be responsible for the fish survival until the release operation has taken place. Those release operations shall take place within three weeks of the completion of the caging operations.

6.Following completion of harvesting operations, fish remaining in a farm and not covered by the BCD shall be released in accordance with the procedures laid down in Article 41(2) and this Annex.

| Reporting of fish that die during further transfers and towing operations | | |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Towing vessel | Name | |

| ICCAT No and flag | | |

| ITD No and cage No | | |

| Master’s name | | |

| Catching vessel(s) / trap | Name of vessel(s) / trap | |

| ICCAT number and JFO No | | |

| eBCDs number(s) | | |

| Previous towing vessel (if any) | Name | |

| ICCAT No and flag | | |

| ITD No and cage No | | |

| Total number of BFT reported dead (^*1) | | |

| Farm of destination | CPC / Name / ICCAT No | |

| Date | No of dead BFT | Master’s signature |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| TOTAL | | |

| (^*1) In case of further transfers, the master of the donor towing vessel shall deliver the original of the mortalities report to the master of the receiving towing vessel. | | |

1.Notwithstanding any stricter requirements applicable in specific ICCAT fisheries, each flag Member State shall implement a VMS for its fishing vessels above 15 metres in length overall authorised to fish in waters beyond jurisdiction of the flag Member State and shall:

1.Prior to their deployment on a purse seine vessel, a trap, or a towing vessel, the entity operating the ICCAT regional observer programme and the competent authorities of the Member State shall provide a minimum of 25 ICCAT seals to each ICCAT regional observer and national observer under their responsibility, respectively, and maintain a record of the seals provided and used.