Article 52Interim prohibition of deep-sea gillnetting
1.For the purpose of this Article the following definition shall apply:
Gillnets are strings of single, double or triple netting walls, vertical, near the surface, in midwater or on the bottom, in which fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Gillnets have floats on the upper line (headrope) and, in general, weights on the ground-line (footrope). Gillnets consist of single or, less commonly, double or triple netting (known as ‘trammel net’) mounted together on the same frame ropes. Several types of nets may be combined in one gear (for example, trammel net combined with gillnet). These nets can be used either alone or, as is more usual, in large numbers placed in line (‘fleets’ of nets). The gear can be set, anchored to the bottom (known as ‘bottom-set net’) or left drifting, free or connected with the vessel (known as ‘driftnet’).
2.The use of gillnets in the CCAMLR Convention Area, for purposes other than scientific research, is prohibited until such time as the Scientific Committee has investigated and reported on the potential impacts of this gear and the Commission has agreed on the basis of advice from the Scientific Committee that such a method may be used in the CCAMLR Convention Area.
3.Proposal for the use of gillnets for scientific research in waters deeper than 100 meters shall be notified in advance to the Scientific Committee and be approved by the Commission before such research can commence.
4.Any vessel seeking to transit the CCAMLR Convention Area carrying gillnets must give advance notice of its intent, including the expected dates of its passage through the CCAMLR Convention Area to the CCAMLR Secretariat. Any vessel in possession of gillnets within the CCAMLR Convention Area which has not given such an advance notice, shall be deemed to be in breach of this provision.