TITLE IIFISHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EU VESSELS
CHAPTER IIIFishing opportunities in waters of regional fisheries management organisations
Section 2CCAMLR convention Area
Article 22Closure of all fisheries
1
Following notification by the CCAMLR Secretariat of the closure of a fishery due to the exhaustion of the TAC as set out in Annex IE, Member States shall ensure that all vessels flying their flag and fishing in the area, management area, subarea, division, SSRU or other management unit, subject to the closure notice, shall remove all their fishing gear from the water by the notified closure date and time.
2
On receipt of such notification by the vessel, no further longlines may be set within 24 hours of the notified date and time. If such notification is received less than 24 hours before the closure date and time, no further longlines may be set following receipt of that notification.
3
In the case of closure of the fishery referred to in paragraph 1, all vessels shall depart from the fishing area as soon as all fishing gear has been removed from the water.
4
Where a vessel is unable to remove all its fishing gear from the water by the notified closure date and time for reasons relating to:
a
the safety of the vessel and crew;
b
the limitations which may arise from adverse weather conditions;
c
sea-ice cover; or
d
the need to protect the Antarctic marine environment,
the vessel shall notify its flag Member State of the situation. The Member States shall promptly notify the CCAMLR Secretariat and the Commission. The vessel shall nonetheless make all reasonable efforts to remove all its fishing gear from the water as soon as possible.
5
If paragraph 4 applies, Member States shall carry out an investigation of the vessel’s actions and, according to its domestic procedures, report the CCAMLR Secretariat and the Commission of its findings no later than before the next CCAMLR meeting. The final report shall assess whether the vessel made all reasonable efforts to remove all its fishing gear from the water:
a
by the notified closure date and time; and
b
as soon as possible after the notification referred to in paragraph 4.
6
Where a vessel does not depart from the closed area as soon as all fishing gear has been removed from the water, the flag Member State shall ensure that the CCAMLR Secretariat and the Commission are informed.