Regulation (EU) 2018/975 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

TITLE I U.K. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 U.K. Subject matter

This Regulation lays down management, conservation and control provisions relating to fishing for straddling fish stocks in the SPRFMO Convention Area.

Article 2 U.K. Scope

This Regulation shall apply to:

(a)

Union fishing vessels operating in the SPRFMO Convention Area;

(b)

Union fishing vessels transhipping fishery products harvested in the SPRFMO Convention Area;

(c)

third country fishing vessels upon requesting access to, or being the object of an inspection in, Union ports and carrying fishery products harvested in the SPRFMO Convention Area.

Article 3 U.K. Relationship to other Union acts

Except where expressly provided otherwise in this Regulation, this Regulation shall apply without prejudice to Regulations (EC) No 1005/2008, (EC) No 1224/2009 and (EU) 2017/2403.

Article 4 U.K. Definitions

For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:

(1)

‘SPRFMO Convention Area’ means the geographical area marked out in Article 5 of the SPRFMO Convention;

(2)

‘fishing vessel’ means any vessel of any size used or intended for use for the purposes of commercial exploitation of fishery resources, including support ships, fish processing vessels, vessels engaged in transhipment and carrier vessels equipped for the transportation of fishery products, except container vessels;

(3)

‘Union fishing vessel’ means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union;

(4)

‘SPRFMO fishery resources’ means all marine biological resources within the SPRFMO Convention Area excluding:

(a)

sedentary species in so far as they are subject to the national jurisdiction of coastal States pursuant to Article 77, paragraph 4 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (‘UNCLOS’);

(b)

highly migratory species listed in Annex I to UNCLOS;

(c)

anadromous and catadromous species;

(d)

marine mammals, marine reptiles and sea birds;

(5)

‘SPRFMO fishery products’ means aquatic organisms, or products derived therefrom, resulting from any fishing activity within the SPRFMO Convention Area;

(6)

‘fishing activity’ means searching for fish, shooting, setting, towing, hauling of a fishing gear, taking catch on board, transhipping, retaining on board, processing on board, transferring and landing of fish and fishery products;

(7)

‘bottom fishing’ means the fishing by any fishing vessel using any gear which is likely to come in contact with the seafloor or benthic organisms during the normal course of operations;

(8)

‘bottom fishing footprint’ means the spatial extent of bottom fishing in the SPRFMO Convention Area during the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006;

(9)

‘IUU fishing’ means any illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing activities as defined in points 1 to 4 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008;

(10)

‘draft SPRFMO IUU vessel list’ means the initial list of fishing vessels presumed to have undertaken IUU fishing, as drafted by the SPRFMO Secretariat and submitted to the SPRFMO Compliance and Technical Committee forconsideration;

(11)

‘exploratory fishery’ means a fishery that has not been subject to fishing or has not been subject to fishing with a particular gear type or technique in the previous 10 years;

(12)

‘large-scale pelagic driftnet’ means a gillnet or other net, or a combination of nets, which is more than 2,5 kilometres in length the purpose of which is to enmesh, entrap or entangle fish by drifting on the surface or in the water;

(13)

‘deepwater gillnets’ e.g. trammel nets, set nets, anchored nets, sink nets, means strings of single, double or triple netting walls, held vertically, on or near the bottom, in which fish will gill, entangle or enmesh. Deepwater gillnets consist of single or, less commonly, double or triple netting mounted together on the same frame ropes. Several types of nets may be combined in one gear. Those 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 or left drifting, free or connected with the vessel;

(14)

‘SPRFMO Cooperating Non-Contracting Party’ (CNCP) means a State or fishing entity that it is not a party to the SPRFMO Convention but has agreed to fully cooperate in the implementation of the SPRFMO conservation and management measures;

(15)

‘SPRFMO record of vessels’ means the list of fishing vessels authorised to fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area, as notified by the Contracting Parties and CNCPs, which is maintained by the SPRFMO Secretariat;

(16)

‘transhipment’ means the unloading of all or any fishery products on board a fishing vessel to another fishing vessel;

(17)

‘other species of concern’ means species listed in Annex XIII;

(18)

‘vulnerable marine ecosystem’ (VME) means any marine ecosystem the integrity (i.e. ecosystem structure or function) of which is, according to the best scientific information available and to the precautionary principle, threatened by significant adverse impacts resulting from physical contact with bottom gears in the normal course of fishing operations, including reefs, seamounts, hydrothermal vents, cold water corals or cold water sponge beds.

TITLE II U.K. MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION AND CONTROL MEASURES CONCERNING CERTAIN SPECIES

CHAPTER I U.K. Jack mackerel ( Trachurus murphyi )

Article 5 U.K. Information on quota exhaustion for jack mackerel

Member States shall inform the Commission without delay of the date of the closure of a fishery for jack mackerel that has reached 100 % of its catch limit. The Commission shall promptly transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

Article 6 U.K. Observer coverage in the jack mackerel fishery

Member States shall ensure a minimum 10 % scientific observer coverage of trips for fishing vessels flying their flag. For fishing vessels undertaking no more than two trips per year, the 10 % observer coverage shall be calculated by reference to active fishing days for trawlers, and by reference to sets for purse-seiners.

Article 7 U.K. Data reporting for jack mackerel

1. Member States shall report to the Commission by the 15th day of each month on the catches of jack mackerel from the preceding month, in accordance with Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by the 20th day of each month.

2. In addition to paragraph 1, Member States shall report to the Commission the following data regarding jack mackerel fisheries:

(a) by the 15th day of each month, the list of fishing vessels flying their flag engaged in transhipment in the preceding month. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by the 20th day of each month;

(b) not later than 45 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting, the annual scientific report covering the previous year. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat not later than 30 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting.

Article 8 U.K. Allocation of fishing opportunities for jack mackerel

In accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, when allocating the fishing opportunities for jack mackerel stocks available to them, Member States shall use transparent and objective criteria, including those of an environmental, social and economic nature, and shall also endeavour to distribute national quotas fairly among the various fleet segments, and to provide incentives to Union fishing vessels deploying selective fishing gear or using fishing techniques with reduced environmental impact.

CHAPTER II U.K. Seabirds

Article 9 U.K. Seabird mitigation measures for longliners

1. All Union fishing vessels using longlines shall be subject to the seabird mitigation measures set out in this Article.

2. All Union fishing vessels using demersal longlines shall use line weights and tori (bird scaring) lines.

3. Union fishing vessels shall not set longlines during the hours of darkness.

4. Line weighting shall be rigged in accordance with Annex I.

5. Bird scaring lines shall be rigged in accordance with Annex II.

6. Union fishing vessels shall be prohibited from discharging offal during shooting and hauling. Where this is not feasible and when it is necessary to discharge biological waste due to operational safety concerns, vessels shall batch waste for two hours or longer.

Article 10 U.K. Seabird mitigation measures for trawlers

1. All Union fishing vessels using trawl gear shall be subject to the seabird mitigation measures set out in this Article.

2. Union fishing vessels shall deploy two tori lines while fishing, or, if the operational practices prevent the effective deployment of tori lines, a bird baffler.

3. Bird bafflers shall be rigged in accordance with Annex III.

4. Where possible, Union fishing vessels shall be prohibited from discharging offal during shooting and hauling.

5. Where possible and appropriate, Union fishing vessels shall convert offal into fish meal and retain all waste material with any discharge restricted to liquid discharge/sump water. Where that is not possible and appropriate, fishing vessels shall batch waste for two hours or longer.

6. Where possible, nets shall be cleaned after every fishing operation to remove entangled fish and benthic material to discourage interactions with birds during gear deployment.

7. The time the net is on the water surface during hauling shall be minimised through proper maintenance of winches and good deck practices.

Article 11 U.K. Seabird data reporting

In the annual scientific report referred to in point (b) of Article 7(2) Member States shall indicate:

(a)

the seabird mitigation measures used by each fishing vessel flying their flag and fishing in the SPRFMO Convention Area;

(b)

the level of observer coverage dedicated to recording seabird by-catch;

(c)

any observed seabird interaction data.

TITLE III U.K. MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION AND CONTROL MEASURES CONCERNING CERTAIN FISHING METHODS

CHAPTER I U.K. Bottom fishing

Article 12 U.K. Bottom fishing authorisation

1. Member States shall not authorise fishing vessels flying their flag to engage in bottom fishing without prior authorisation from the SPRFMO.

2. Member States whose vessels intend to engage in bottom fishing activities in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall submit a request for authorisation to the Commission not later than 45 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting at which they wish the request to be considered. The Commission shall forward the request to the SPRFMO Secretariat not later than 30 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting. The request shall contain:

(a) the bottom fishing footprint, based on the track record in bottom fishing catch or effort in the SPRFMO Convention Area over the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006 established by the Member State concerned;

(b) the average annual catch level over the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006;

(c) a bottom fishing impact assessment;

(d) an evaluation as to whether the proposed activities both promote the sustainable management of target species and non-target species taken as by-catch, and protect the marine ecosystems in which those resources occur, including by preventing significant adverse impacts on VMEs.

3. The impact assessment referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2 shall be carried out in accordance with the International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea Fisheries in the High Seas of the Food and Agriculture Organisation published in 2009 (‘Deep-sea Fisheries Guidelines of the FAO’) and shall take into account the SPRFMO Bottom Fishery Impact Assessment Standard and areas where VMEs are known or are likely to occur.

4. The Commission shall inform the relevant Member State of the SPRFMO decision regarding the authorisation to bottom fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area for the purpose of which the impact assessment was conducted, including any attached conditions and relevant measures to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs.

5. Member States shall ensure that impact assessments referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2 are updated when a substantial change in the fishery has occurred that is likely to have an impact on VMEs, and shall transmit that information to the Commission as soon as it becomes available. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

Article 13 U.K. Bottom fishing outside the bottom fishing footprint or exceeding reference period catch levels

1. Member States shall not authorise fishing vessels flying their flag to engage in bottom fishing outside the bottom fishing footprint or exceeding reference period catch levels without prior authorisation from the SPRFMO.

2. Member States whose vessels intend to fish outside the bottom fishing footprint or intend to exceed the average annual catch level referred to in point (b) of Article 12(2) shall submit a request for authorisation to the Commission not later than 80 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting of the year in which they wish their request to be considered. The Commission shall forward the request to the SPRFMO Secretariat not later than 60 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting. The request shall contain:

(a) a bottom fishing impact assessment;

(b) an evaluation as to whether the proposed activities both promote the sustainable management of target species and non-target species taken as by-catch, and protect the marine ecosystems in which those resources occur, including by preventing significant adverse impacts on VMEs.

3. The impact assessment referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 shall be carried out in accordance with the Deep-sea Fisheries Guidelines of the FAO and shall take into account the SPRFMO Bottom Fishery Impact Assessment Standard and areas where VMEs are known or are likely to occur.

4. The Commission shall inform the relevant Member State of the SPRFMO decision regarding the authorisation to bottom fish within the SPRFMO Convention Area for the purpose of which the impact assessment was conducted, including any attached conditions and relevant measures to prevent significant adverse impacts on VMEs.

5. Member States shall ensure that impact assessments referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 are updated when a change in the fishery has occurred that is likely to have an impact on VMEs, and transmit that information to the Commission as soon as it becomes available. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

Article 14 U.K. VMEs in bottom fishing

1. Until the SPRFMO Scientific Committee has developed advice on threshold levels, Member States shall establish threshold levels for encounters with VMEs for fishing vessels flying their flag, taking into account paragraph 68 of the Deep-sea Fisheries Guidelines of the FAO.

2. Member States shall require fishing vessels flying their flag to cease bottom fishing activities within five nautical miles of any site in the SPRFMO Convention Area where encounters exceed the threshold levels established pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article. Member States shall report encounters with VMEs to the Commission on the basis of the guidelines set out in Annex IV. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat without delay.

Article 15 U.K. Observer coverage in bottom fishing

Member States shall ensure 100 % observer coverage of trawlers flying their flag engaged in bottom fishing and at least 10 % of fishing vessels flying their flag deploying other bottom fishing gear.

Article 16 U.K. Data reporting for bottom fishing

1. By the 15th day of each month, Member States shall report to the Commission on the catches of bottom fishing species from the preceding month in accordance with Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

2. By the 15th day of each month, Member States shall provide to the Commission a list of fishing vessels flying their flag actively fishing and fishing vessels flying their flag engaged in transhipment. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat within five days of receiving it.

3. Member States shall prohibit fishing vessels flying their flag from participating in bottom fishing if the minimum required data regarding fishing vessel identification set out in Annex V have not been provided.

CHAPTER II U.K. Exploratory fisheries

Article 17 U.K. Exploratory fisheries authorisation

1. Member States intending to authorise a fishing vessel flying their flag to fish in an exploratory fishery shall submit to the Commission, not later than 80 days in advance of the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting:

(a) a request for authorisation providing the information contained in Annex V;

(b) a Fisheries Operation Plan in accordance with Annex VI, including a commitment to comply with the SPRFMO Data Collection Plan referred to in Article 18(3), (4) and (5).

2. Not later than 60 days in advance of the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting, the Commission shall forward the request to the SPRFMO Commission, and the Fisheries Operation Plan to the SPRFMO Scientific Committee.

3. The Commission shall inform the Member State concerned of the SPRFMO decision regarding the authorisation to fish in an exploratory fishery.

Article 18 U.K. Exploratory fisheries

1. Member States shall not authorise fishing vessels flying their flag to fish in an exploratory fishery without prior authorisation from the SPRFMO.

2. Member States shall ensure that any fishing vessel flying their flag fishes only in an exploratory fishery in accordance with the Fisheries Operation Plan approved by the SPRFMO.

3. Member States shall ensure that the data required by the SPRFMO Data Collection Plan is provided to the Commission, which shall forward those data to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

4. Union fishing vessels authorised to participate in exploratory fisheries shall be prohibited from continuing to fish in the relevant exploratory fishery unless the data specified in the SPRFMO Data Collection Plan has been submitted to the SPRFMO Secretariat for the most recent season in which the fishing occurred and the SPRFMO Scientific Committee has had the opportunity to review that data.

5. Member States whose fishing vessels participate in exploratory fisheries shall ensure that each fishing vessel flying their flag carries one or more independent observers as needed to collect data in accordance with the SPRFMO Data Collection Plan.

Article 19 U.K. Fishing vessel replacement in exploratory fisheries

1. Notwithstanding Articles 17 and 18, Member States may authorise fishing in an exploratory fishery by a vessel flying their flag which is not identified in the Fisheries Operation Plan if a Union fishing vessel identified in the Fisheries Operation Plan is prevented from fishing on account of legitimate operational or force majeure reasons. In such circumstances, the Member State concerned shall inform the Commission without delay and provide:

(a) full details of the intended replacement vessel;

(b) a comprehensive account of the reasons for the replacement and any relevant supporting evidence;

(c) specifications and a full description of the types of fishing gear to be used by the replacement vessel.

2. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat without delay.

CHAPTER III U.K. Large-scale pelagic driftnets, deepwater gillnets and other gillnets

Article 20 U.K. Large-scale pelagic driftnets and deepwater gillnets

The use of large-scale pelagic driftnets and all deepwater gillnets shall be prohibited throughout the SPRFMO Convention Area.

Article 21 U.K. Gillnets

Member States whose vessels intend to transit the SPRFMO Convention Area with gillnets on board shall:

(a)

give at least 36 hours advance notice to the SPRFMO Secretariat prior to the vessel entering the SPRFMO Convention Area, including the expected entry and exit dates and length of gillnet carried on board;

(b)

ensure that the vessels flying their flag operate a vessel monitoring system (VMS) reporting once every two hours while in the SPRFMO Convention Area;

(c)

submit VMS position reports to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 30 days of the vessel leaving the SPRFMO Convention Area; and

(d)

if gillnets are accidentally lost or fall overboard from the vessel, report the date, time, position and length (metres) of gillnets lost to the SPRFMO Secretariat as soon as possible and in any event within 48 hours of the gear being lost or having fallen overboard.

TITLE IV U.K. COMMON CONTROL MEASURES

CHAPTER I U.K. Authorisations

Article 22 U.K. SPRFMO record of vessels

1. By 15 November each year, Member States shall submit to the Commission a list of fishing vessels flying their flag authorised to fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area for the following year, including the information contained in Annex V. The Commission shall forward that list to the SPRFMO Secretariat. Member States shall take into account the compliance history of fishing vessels and operators when considering the issuance of fishing authorisations for the SPRFMO Convention Area.

2. Member States shall inform the Commission of fishing vessels flying their flag authorised to fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area at least 20 days prior to the date of first entry of such vessels in the SPRFMO Convention Area. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least 15 days prior to the date of first entry in the SPRFMO Convention Area.

3. Member States shall ensure that the data on fishing vessels flying their flag authorised to fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area are up-to-date. Any modification shall be notified to the Commission not later than 10 days after such modification. The Commission shall inform the SPRFMO Secretariat within five days of receiving such notification.

4. In the case of revocation, renunciation or any other circumstances that render an authorisation invalid, Member States shall inform the Commission without delay so that it can transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat within a period of three days following the date of the invalidity of the authorisation.

5. Union fishing vessels not included in the SPRFMO record of vessels shall not be permitted to engage in fishing activities for species under the responsibility of the SPRFMO in the SPRFMO Convention Area.

CHAPTER II U.K. Transhipment

Article 23 U.K. General provisions on transhipment

1. This Chapter shall apply to transhipment operations carried out:

(a) within the SPRFMO Convention Area in respect of SPRFMO fishery resources, and other species caught in association with these resources, that were harvested in the SPRFMO Convention Area;

(b) outside the SPRFMO Convention Area in respect of SPRFMO fishery resources, and other species caught in association with these resources, that were harvested in the SPRFMO Convention Area.

2. Transhipments at sea and in port shall only be undertaken between fishing vessels included in the SPRFMO record of vessels.

3. At sea transfer of fuel, crew, gear or any other supplies in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall only be undertaken between fishing vessels included in the SPRFMO record of vessels.

4. Transhipment operations at sea in respect of SPRFMO fishery resources, and other species caught in association with these resources, that were harvested in the SPRFMO Convention Area, shall be prohibited in Union waters.

Article 24 U.K. Notification of transhipment of jack mackerel and demersal species

1. Regardless of where the transhipment takes place, in case of transhipment of jack mackerel and demersal species caught in the SPRFMO Convention Area by Union fishing vessels, the authorities of the flag Member State shall simultaneously transmit to the Commission and the SPRFMO Secretariat the following information:

(a) a notification of the intention to tranship, which shall indicate a 14-day period in which the transhipment of jack mackerel and demersal species caught in the SPRFMO Convention Area is scheduled to occur, and which shall be received seven days in advance of the first day of the 14-day period;

(b) a notification of the actual transhipment, which shall be received at least 12 hours before the estimated time of such activities.

Member States may authorise the Union fishing vessel operator to transmit that information directly to the SPRFMO Secretariat by electronic means subject to the simultaneous transmission of the information to the Commission.

2. The notifications referred to in paragraph 1 shall include the relevant information available regarding the transhipment operation, including the estimated date and time, anticipated location, fishery, and information about the Union fishing vessels involved, in accordance with Annex VII.

Article 25 U.K. Monitoring of transhipment of jack mackerel and demersal species

1. If an observer is on board the unloading or receiving Union fishing vessel, the observer shall monitor the transhipment activities. The observer shall complete the SPRFMO transhipment logsheet in accordance with Annex VIII to verify the quantity and species of the fishery products being transhipped, and shall provide a copy of the logsheet to the competent authorities of the Member State to which the observed vessel is flagged.

2. The Member State to which the fishing vessel is flagged shall submit the observer data of the SPRFMO transhipment logsheet to the Commission within 10 days of the observer debarking. The Commission shall forward those data to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 15 days of the date of debarkation.

3. For the purpose of verifying the quantity and species of the fishery products being transhipped, and in order to ensure that proper verification can occur, the observer on board shall have full access to the observed Union fishing vessel, including crew, gear, equipment, records (including in electronic format) and fish holds.

Article 26 U.K. Information to be reported after the transhipment of jack mackerel and demersal species

1. Member States whose vessels are involved in the transhipment operation shall notify all the operational details simultaneously to the SPRFMO Secretariat and the Commission in accordance with Annex IX not later than seven days after the transhipment is carried out.

2. Member States may authorise the Union fishing vessel operator to transmit the information referred to in paragraph 1 directly to the SPRFMO Secretariat by electronic means subject to simultaneous transmission of the information to the Commission. Any request for clarification from the SPRFMO Secretariat received by the Union fishing vessel operator shall be forwarded to the Commission.

CHAPTER III U.K. Data collection and reporting

Article 27 U.K. Data collection and reporting

1. In addition to the data reporting requirements set out in Articles 7, 11, 14, 16, 18, 25 and 26, Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall provide the data set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article to the Commission.

2. By 15 September each year, Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall report the live weight for all species/species groups caught during the previous calendar year to the Commission. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 30 September.

3. By 15 June each year, Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall report to the Commission the data regarding trawl fishing activity on tow by tow basis; the data on bottom long lining on set by set basis; and the data on landings, including for reefers, and transhipments. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 30 June.

4. The Commission may lay down, by means of implementing acts, detailed requirements for the data reporting referred to in this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 45(2).

CHAPTER IV U.K. Observer programmes

Article 28 U.K. Observer programmes

1. Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall establish observer programmes in order to collect the data set out in Annex X.

2. By 15 September each year, Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall provide the applicable observer data set out in Annex X covering the previous calendar year to the Commission. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 30 September.

3. By 15 August each year, Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall provide an annual report on the implementation of the observer programme in the previous year. The report shall include observer training, programme design and coverage, the type of data collected, and any problems encountered during the year. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 1 September.

Article 29 U.K. Vessel monitoring system

1. The satellite-tracking device installed on board Union fishing vessels shall ensure the automatic transmission to the fisheries monitoring centre (FMC) of the flag Member State of VMS data with a position error which shall be less than 100 metres under normal satellite navigation operating conditions.

2. Member States shall ensure that their FMCs automatically and continuously report the VMS data of vessels flying their flag engaged in fishing in the SPRFMO Convention Area to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least once every hour and that satellite-tracking devices installed on board of vessels flying their flag are capable of reporting VMS data at least every 15 minutes.

3. For the purpose of Article 9(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, the SPRFMO Convention Area shall include a zone of 100 nautical miles outside the SPRFMO Convention Area, within which paragraph 1 of this Article shall apply.

4. Member States shall ensure that, for fishing vessels flying their flag, in the event that the antenna of the satellite-tracking device is mounted separately from the physical enclosure, a single common antenna is used for both satellite navigation decoder and transmitter, and the physical enclosure is connected to the antenna using a single length of unbroken cable.

CHAPTER V U.K. Control of third country fishing vessels in Member State ports

Article 30 U.K. Points of contact and designated ports

1. A Member State wishing to grant access to its ports to third country fishing vessels carrying SPRFMO fishery products caught in the SPRFMO Convention Area or fishery products originating from such resources that have not been previously landed or transhipped at port or at sea shall:

(a) designate the ports to which third country fishing vessels may request entry pursuant to Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008;

(b) designate a point of contact for the purposes of receiving prior notice pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008;

(c) designate a point of contact for the purposes of receiving inspection reports pursuant to Article 11(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008.

2. Member States shall transmit any changes to the list of designated points of contact and designated ports to the Commission at least 40 days before the changes take effect. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least 30 days before the changes take effect.

Article 31 U.K. Prior notification

1. By way of derogation from Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, port Member States shall require third country fishing vessels intending to land or tranship in their ports SPRFMO fishery resources that have not been previously landed or transhipped to provide, not later than 48 hours before the estimated time of arrival at the port, the following information in accordance with Annex XI:

(a) vessel identification (external identification, name, flag, International Maritime Organization (IMO) number, if any, and international radio call sign (IRCS));

(b) name of the designated port to which the fishing vessel seeks entry and the purpose of the port call (landing or transhipment);

(c) a copy of the fishing authorisation or, where appropriate, any other authorisation held by the fishing vessel to support operations on SPRFMO fishery products, or to tranship such fishery products;

(d) estimated date and time of arrival in port;

(e) the estimated quantities in kilograms of each SPRFMO fishery product held on board, with associated catch areas. If no SPRFMO fishery products are held on board, a ‘nil’ report shall be transmitted;

(f) the estimated quantities for each SPRFMO fishery product in kilograms to be landed or transhipped, with associated catch areas;

(g) the crew list of the fishing vessel;

(h) the dates of the fishing trip.

2. The information provided in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be accompanied by a catch certificate validated in accordance with Chapter III of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 if the third country fishing vessel carries on board SPRFMO fishery products.

3. Port Member States may also request any additional information in order to determine whether the fishing vessel has engaged in IUU fishing or related activities.

4. Port Member States may prescribe a longer or shorter notification period than specified in paragraph 1, taking into account, inter alia, the type of fishery product and the distance between the fishing grounds and their ports. In such a case, port Member States shall inform the Commission which shall promptly transmit the information to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

Article 32 U.K. Authorisation to land or tranship in ports

After receiving the relevant information pursuant to Article 31, a port Member State shall decide whether to authorise or deny the third country fishing vessel entry into its port. Where a third country fishing vessel has been denied entry, the port Member State shall inform the Commission which shall forward the information to the SPRFMO Secretariat without delay. Port Member States shall deny entry to fishing vessels included in the SPRFMO list of IUU vessels.

Article 33 U.K. Port inspections

1. Port Member States shall inspect at least 5 % of landing and transhipment operations relating to SPRFMO fishery products made by third country fishing vessels in their designated ports.

2. Without prejudice to Article 9(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, port Member States shall inspect third country fishing vessels when:

(a) there is a request from another Contracting Party, CNCP or relevant RFMO that a particular fishing vessel be inspected, particularly where such requests are supported by evidence of IUU fishing by the fishing vessel in question, and there are clear grounds for suspecting that a fishing vessel has engaged in IUU fishing;

(b) a fishing vessel has failed to provide complete information as required in Article 31;

(c) a fishing vessel has been denied entry or use of a port in accordance with SPRFMO or another RFMO's provisions.

Article 34 U.K. Inspection procedure

1. This Article shall apply in addition to the rules on the inspection procedure laid down in Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008.

2. Inspectors from Member States shall carry a valid document of identity. They may take copies of any documents considered relevant.

3. Inspections shall be carried out in such a way that the third country fishing vessel suffers the minimum interference and inconvenience, and that degradation of the quality of the catch is avoided to the extent practicable.

4. On completion of the inspection, the vessel master shall be given the opportunity to add any comments or objections to the report and to contact the competent authority of the relevant port Member State in relation to the inspection report. The template for the inspection report is contained in Annex XII. A copy of the report shall be provided to the vessel master.

5. Within 12 working days following the date of completion of the inspection, the port Member State shall transmit to the Commission a copy of the inspection report referred to in Article 10(3) and Article 11(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 completed in accordance with Annex XII to this Regulation. The Commission shall forward the report to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 15 working days of the date of completion of the inspection.

6. If the inspection report cannot be transmitted to the Commission for forwarding to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 15 working days, the port Member State shall notify the Commission within sufficient time of the reasons for the delay and when the report will be submitted, in order to allow the Commission to inform the SPRFMO Secretariat within the period of 15 working days.

Article 35 U.K. Procedure in case of evidence of infringements of SPRFMO conservation and management measures during port inspections

1. If the information collected during the inspection provides evidence that a third country fishing vessel has committed a breach of the SPRFMO conservation and management measures, this Article shall apply in addition to Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008.

2. The competent authorities of the port Member State shall forward a copy of the inspection report to the Commission as soon as possible and in any case within five working days. The Commission shall transmit that report to the SPRFMO Secretariat and to the flag Contracting Party or CNCP point of contact without delay.

3. Port Member States shall promptly notify the action taken in the event of infringements to the competent authority of the flag Contracting Party or CNCP and to the Commission which shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

CHAPTER VI U.K. Enforcement

Article 36 U.K. Alleged infringements of SPRFMO conservation and management measures reported by the Member States

Member States shall submit to the Commission any documented information that indicates possible instances of non-compliance by any fishing vessel with SPRFMO conservation and management measures in the SPRFMO Convention Area over the past two years at least 145 days in advance of the annual meeting of the SPRFMO Commission. The Commission shall examine that information and, if appropriate, forward it to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least 120 days in advance of the annual meeting.

Article 37 U.K. Inclusion of a Union fishing vessel in the draft SPRFMO IUU vessel list

1. If the Commission receives official notification of the inclusion of a Union fishing vessel in the draft SPRFMO IUU vessel list from the SPRFMO Secretariat, it shall transmit the notification, including the supporting evidence and any other documented information provided by the SPRFMO Secretariat, to the flag Member State for comments not later than 45 days in advance of the annual meeting of the SPRFMO Commission. The Commission shall examine and forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least 30 days in advance of the annual meeting.

2. Once notified by the Commission, the authorities of the flag Member State shall notify the owner of the fishing vessel of its inclusion in the draft SPRFMO IUU vessel list and of the consequences that may result from its inclusion being confirmed in the IUU vessel list adopted by the SPRFMO.

Article 38 U.K. Measures concerning fishing vessels included in the SPRFMO IUU vessel list

1. On adoption of the SPRFMO IUU vessel list, the Commission shall request the flag Member State to notify the owner of the fishing vessel identified on the SPRFMO IUU vessel list of its inclusion on the list and the consequences which result from being included on the list.

2. A Member State with information indicating a change of name or an IRCS of a fishing vessel appearing on the SPRFMO IUU vessel list shall, as soon as practicable, transmit such information to the Commission. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat without delay.

Article 39 U.K. Alleged non-compliance reported by the SPRFMO Secretariat

1. If the Commission receives from the SPRFMO Secretariat any information indicating a suspected non-compliance with the SPRFMO Convention and/or SPRFMO conservation and management measures by a Member State, the Commission shall transmit that information to the concerned Member State without delay.

2. The Member State shall provide the Commission with the findings of any investigation undertaken in relation to the allegations of non-compliance and any actions taken to address compliance concerns at least 45 days in advance of the annual meeting of the SPRFMO Commission. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least 30 days in advance of the annual meeting.

Article 40 U.K. Alleged infringements of SPRFMO conservation and management measures reported by a Contracting Party or CNCP

1. Member States shall designate a point of contact for the purpose of receiving port inspection reports from Contracting Parties and CNCPs.

2. Member States shall transmit any changes to the designated point of contact to the Commission at least 40 days before the changes take effect. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least 30 days before such changes take effect.

3. If the point of contact designated by a Member State receives an inspection report from a Contracting Party or CNCP providing evidence that a fishing vessel flying the flag of that Member State has committed a breach of the SPRFMO conservation and management measures, the flag Member State shall promptly investigate the alleged infringement and notify the Commission of the status of the investigation, and of any enforcement action that may have been taken, to enable the Commission to inform the SPRFMO Secretariat within three months of receipt of the notification. If the Member State cannot provide the Commission with a status report within three months of the receipt of the inspection report, it shall notify the Commission within the three month period of the reasons for the delay and of the date by which the status report will be submitted. The Commission shall transmit the information regarding the status or delay of the investigation to the SPRFMO Secretariat.

Article 41 U.K. Technical failure of the satellite-tracking device

1. In case of technical failure of their satellite-tracking device, Union fishing vessels shall report the following data to the FMC of the Member State to which they are flagged every four hours, by appropriate telecommunication means:

(a) IMO number;

(b) IRCS;

(c) vessel name;

(d) vessel master's name;

(e) position (latitude and longitude), date and time (UTC);

(f) activity (fishing/transit/transhipping).

2. Member States shall ensure that, in the event that the technical failure of the satellite tracking device has not been solved within 60 days from the commencement of the reporting obligation as specified in paragraph 1, fishing vessels flying their flag cease fishing, stow all fishing gear and return to port without delay to repair the satellite-tracking device.

3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall apply in addition to the requirements laid down in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

TITLE V U.K. FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 42 U.K. Confidentiality

Data collected and exchanged in the framework of this Regulation shall be treated in accordance with the rules on confidentiality set out in Articles 112 and 113 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

Article 43 U.K. Procedure for amendments

In order to incorporate into Union law amendments to SPRFMO conservation and management measures, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 44 amending:

(a)

the Annexes to this Regulation;

(b)

the time limits laid down in Articles 7(1) and (2), 11, 12(2), 13(2), 16(1) and (2), 17(1) and (2), 22(1) to (4), 24(1), 25(2), 26(1), 27(2) and (3), 28(2) and (3), 29(1), 30(2), 31(1), 34(5) and (6), 35(2) and (3), 36, 37(1), 39(2), 40(2) and (3), and 41(1) and (2).

(c)

observer coverage laid down in Articles 6 and 15;

(d)

the reference period to determine the bottom fishing footprint in Article 12(2);

(e)

the inspection coverage laid down in Article 33(1);

(f)

the type of data and information requirements laid down in Articles 7(2), 11, 12(2) and (3), 13(2) and (3), 14(1), 16(1) and (2), 17(1), 18(2) and (3), 19(1), 24(1), 25(2), 27(2) and (3), 28(3), 31(1) and 41(1).

Article 44 U.K. Exercise of the delegation

1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article.

2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 43 shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from 19 July 2018. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period.

3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 43 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated act already in force.

4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making.

5. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council.

6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 43 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council.

Article 45 U.K. Committee procedure

1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture established by Article 47 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.

Article 46 U.K. Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Strasbourg, 4 July 2018.

For the European Parliament

The President

A. Tajani

For the Council

The President

K. Edtstadler