CCAMLR

This report summarises observations made by France with regard to illegal fishing from 23 August 2013 to 23 August 2014. It covers Statistical Subarea 58.6 and Divisions 58.5.1 and 58.5.2 which include the Crozet, Kerguelen and Heard and McDonald EEZs respectively, as well as Statistical Divisions 58.4.3 and 58.4.4, international waters including BANZARE, Elan, Lena and Ob Banks, where France has carried out exploratory fisheries.

In the French EEZs, where the surveillance system remained in operation throughout the year, no observations of IUU fishing activity were noted or reported, although fishing gear not belonging to licensed vessels was found on a number of occasions. Furthermore, no IUU fishing activity was directly observed by France in the above-mentioned international areas.

Between 2004 and 2014, the satellite radar surveillance system and maritime patrols have proved their efficacy and these efforts should be continued. Indeed, with the exception of one year, vessels on CCAMLR’s IUU list have been observed every year over the last ten years. The most recent interception, in 2013, by a French naval frigate, of a fishing vessel in the Crozet EEZ, along with the regular recovery of illegal gear, is evidence of intrusions into the French EEZs. In international waters within the Convention Area (BANZARE, Elan, Lena and Ob Banks), observations over this period also report fishing activities being undertaken by vessels on CCAMLR’s IUU list.

Research fishing conducted under CM 24-01 requires that research catch limits be assigned to individual vessels or groups of vessels for purposes of completing the proposed research.  For fish stocks already subject to non-zero total catch limits, e.g. based on agreed stock assessments, deducting research catch limits can result in forgone catch for other vessels participating in the Olympic fishery.

We propose a simple and transparent mechanism by which research catch limits assigned to effort-limited research proposals under CM 24-01 may be calculated in a transparent manner. Deviations between actual and expected research catches from fixed-effort surveys could be deducted from total catch limits in the following year, to ensure that survey objectives are not compromised while simultaneously ensuring that other vessels operating in the same fishery are not disadvantaged and continue to prioritise and support the development of research proposals to improve stock assessment.

1. In 2006, CCAMLR adopted Conservation Measure 32-18 on the conservation of sharks. The measure prohibits “directed fishing on shark species in the Convention Area…” and calls for the live release of incidentally-caught sharks where possible. The measure is, however, silent on the practice of shark finning should incidental catches of sharks occur. The delegations of Brazil, Chile, European Union, and USA propose to amend CCAMLR Conservation Measure 32-18 to require that all fins of any shark that is incidentally caught and cannot be released alive remain naturally attached to the point of first landing. This is consistent with United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions adopted by consensus every year since 2007.