Annexes to COM(2021)785 - EU position in the North Pacific Fisheries Commission - Main contents
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dossier | COM(2021)785 - EU position in the North Pacific Fisheries Commission. |
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document | COM(2021)785 ![]() |
date | March 3, 2022 |
THE POSITION TO BE TAKEN ON THE UNION’S BEHALF WITHIN THE NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMISSION
1. PRINCIPLES
In the framework of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), the Union shall:
(a) | act in accordance with the objectives and principles pursued by the Union within the common fisheries policy, in particular through the precautionary approach and the aims related to the maximum sustainable yield as laid down in Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, to promote the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, to avoid and reduce, as far as possible, unwanted catches and gradually eliminate discards, and to minimise the negative impact of fishing activities on marine ecosystems and their habitats, and, by promoting economically viable and competitive Union fisheries, to provide a fair standard of living for those who depend on fishing activities, while also taking account of the interests of consumers; |
(b) | work towards appropriate involvement of stakeholders in the preparation of NPFC measures and ensure that measures adopted within the NPFC are in accordance with the objectives of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the North Pacific Ocean (the ‘Convention’); |
(c) | ensure that measures adopted within the NPFC are consistent with international law, and in particular with the provisions of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, the UN Agreement relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks of 4 December 1995, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Agreement to promote compliance with international conservation and management measures by fishing vessels on the high seas of 24 November 1993 and the FAO Port State Measures Agreement of 22 November 2009; |
(d) | promote positions consistent with the best practices of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) involved in fisheries management in the same area; |
(e) | seek consistency and synergy with Union policy regarding its bilateral fisheries relations with third countries, and ensure coherence with its other policies, in particular in the fields of external relations, environment, trade, development, research and innovation; |
(f) | ensure that the Union’s international commitments are respected; |
(g) | respect the Council conclusions of 19 March 2012 on the Commission Communication on the external dimension of the common fisheries policy; |
(h) | aim to create a level playing field for the Union fleet within the area to which the Convention applies, as defined in Article 4(1) of the Convention (the ‘Convention area’), based on the same principles and standards as those applicable under Union law, and to promote the uniform implementation of those principles and standards; |
(i) | respect the Council conclusions of 3 April 2017 on the Joint communication by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission of 10 November 2016 entitled ‘International ocean governance: an agenda for the future of oceans’, and promote measures to support and enhance the effectiveness of the NPFC and, where relevant, improve its governance and performance, in particular as regards science, compliance, transparency and decision-making; |
(j) | promote coordination between RFMOs and regional sea conventions and cooperation with global organisations within their mandates, where appropriate; |
(k) | promote cooperation mechanisms amongst non-tuna RFMOs similar to the Kobe process for tuna RFMOs. |
2. ORIENTATIONS
The Union shall, where appropriate, endeavour to support the adoption of the following actions by the NPFC:
(a) | conservation and management measures for fisheries resources in the Convention area based on the best scientific advice available, including total allowable catches and quotas or effort regulation for living marine biological resources regulated by the NPFC, which would achieve the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate. Where necessary, those conservation and management measures shall include specific measures for stocks which suffer from overfishing to keep the fishing effort in line with available fishing opportunities; |
(b) | measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in the Convention area, including IUU fishing vessel listing; |
(c) | monitoring, control and surveillance measures in the Convention area to ensure efficiency of control and compliance with measures adopted within the NPFC; |
(d) | measures to minimise the negative impact of fishing activities on marine biodiversity and marine ecosystems and their habitats, including measures to reduce marine pollution and prevent the discharge of plastics at sea and reduce the impact on marine biodiversity and ecosystems of plastics present at sea, protective measures for vulnerable marine ecosystems in the Convention area, in line with the Convention and the FAO International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea Fisheries in the High Seas of 29 August 2008, and measures to avoid and reduce as far as possible unwanted catches, in particular of vulnerable marine species, and to gradually eliminate discards; |
(e) | measures to reduce the impact of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear in the ocean and to help identify and recover such gear; |
(f) | recommendations, where appropriate and to the extent permitted under the relevant constituent documents, encouraging the implementation of the International Labour Organisation Work in Fishing Convention of 14 June 2007; |
(g) | measures that aim to prohibit fisheries conducted solely for the purpose of harvesting shark fins and requiring that all sharks landed have each fin naturally attached; |
(h) | common approaches with other RFMOs, where appropriate, and in particular with those involved in fisheries management in the same region; |
(i) | additional technical measures based on advice from the subsidiary bodies and working groups of the NPFC. |
ANNEX II
YEAR-TO-YEAR SPECIFICATION OF THE POSITION TO BE TAKEN ON THE UNION’S BEHALF AT MEETINGS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMISSION
Before each meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), when that body is called upon to adopt decisions having legal effects on the Union, the necessary steps shall be taken so that the position to be expressed on the Union’s behalf takes account of the latest scientific and other relevant information transmitted to the Commission, in accordance with the principles and orientations set out in Annex I.
To this effect, and based on that information, the Commission shall transmit to the Council,in sufficient time before each meeting of the NPFC, a written document setting out the proposed specification of the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf for discussion and endorsement.
If, in the course of an NPFC meeting, it is impossible to reach an agreement, including on the spot, in order for the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf to take account of new elements, the matter shall be referred to the Council or its preparatory bodies.