Section 5 U.K. IATTC Convention Area
Article 27U.K.Purse-seine fisheries
1.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 2017 or from 18 November 2017 to 18 January 2018 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 2017 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 2017. 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.
[F12a. Member States shall close the fishery for purse-seine vessels fishing with FADs and flying their flag when the catch limit allocated to that fishery is reached.]
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.
Textual Amendments
Article 28U.K.Prohibition of fishing for oceanic whitetip sharks
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 caught 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.
Article 29U.K.Prohibition of fishing for Mobulid rays
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 (family Mobulidae, which includes the genera Manta and Mobula). 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.