This Recommendation of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), taking into account the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing and other international instruments and GFCM Guidelines, concerns port State measures for vessels which are within the GFCM area of application. Its objective is to contribute to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources in the GFCM area of application through strengthened, harmonized and transparent port State measures to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. The Recommendation places obligations on each Contracting Party and Cooperating non Contracting Party (CPC) in its capacity as port state to: Apply this recommendation in respect of vessels that are not flying its flag and that are seeking access to its port(s) or are in one of its ports; integrate or coordinate port State measures into a broader system of port State controls and other measures to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing; set up cooperation and exchange of information mechanisms; designate and publicize national ports to which foreign vessels may be permitted access; take port state measures as prescribed (concerning, among other things, port authorization and port inspection). A regional information system which includes port State information shall be developed by the GFCM to better monitor and control the GFCM area of application. The GFCM Secretariat shall establish and maintain a register of designated and publicized national ports based on the lists submitted by CPCs. Each CPC shall ensure that inspections of vessels in its ports are carried out in accordance with the inspection procedures set out in Annex 2 and shall handle information on port inspections in a standardized form, consistent with Annex 4. The Recommendation also concerns training of port inspectors, sets out obligations of CPCs in their capacity as flag states, and requires CPCS to give full recognition to the special requirements of CPC developing States.
2016-01-01