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1.The fishing by purse-seine vessels for yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) shall be prohibited:
(a)from 29 July to 28 September 2016 or from 18 November 2016 to 18 January 2017 in the area defined by the following limits:
(a)the Pacific coastlines of the Americas,
longitude 150° W,
latitude 40° N,
latitude 40° S;
(b)from 29 September to 29 October 2016 in the area defined by the following limits:
(b)longitude 96° W,
longitude 110° W,
latitude 4° N,
latitude 3° S.
2.The Member States concerned shall notify the Commission of the selected period of closure referred to in paragraph 1 before 1 April 2016. All the purse-seine vessels of the Member States concerned shall stop purse-seine fishing in the areas defined in paragraph 1 during the selected period.
3.Purse-seine vessels fishing for tuna in the IATTC Convention Area shall retain on board and then land or tranship all yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tuna caught.
4.Paragraph 3 shall not apply in the following cases:
(a)where the fish is considered unfit for human consumption for reasons other than size; or
(b)during the final set of a trip when there may be insufficient well space remaining to accommodate all the tuna caught in that set.
1.It shall be prohibited to fish for oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) in the IATTC Convention Area, and to retain on board, to tranship, to store, to offer to sell, to sell or to land any part or whole carcass of oceanic whitetip sharks in that area.
2.When accidentally caught, the species referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be harmed. Specimens shall be promptly released by vessel operators.
3.Vessel operators shall:
(a)record the number of releases with indication of status (dead or alive);
(b)report the information specified in point (a) to the Member State of which they are nationals. Member States shall transmit the information collected during the previous year to the Commission by 31 January of the year in which this Regulation enters into force.
It shall be prohibited for Union fishing vessels in the IATTC Convention Area to fish for, to retain on board, to tranship, to land, to store, to offer to sell or to sell any part or whole carcass of Mobulid rays (which include Manta rays and Mobula rays). As soon as Union fishing vessels notice that Mobulid rays have been caught, Union fishing vessels shall promptly release them alive and unharmed wherever possible.