This Conservation and Management Measure of the Meeting of the Parties to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement adopts the following CMM in accordance with Article 4 and 6 of the Agreement. This CMM applies to all fishing vessels of Contracting Parties, cooperating non-Contracting Parties and participating fishing entities to the Agreement (collectively CCPs), engaged in fishing operations in the SIOFA Area of Application (Agreement Area), south of 25°S. Until such time that the SIOFA Scientific Committee has developed advice for the Meeting of Parties on the most appropriate response to mitigate and minimise incidental bycatch of seabirds by demersal fishing gears deployed in the Agreement Area, CCPs shall require any demersal longliners and other demersal fishing gears flying their flag and operating in this area to apply the specific mitigation measures, such as: location and level of lighting; information about birds colliding with the vessel, or caught by its gears will be recorded in accordance with CMM 2019/02 (Data Standards); and every effort should be made to ensure that birds captured alive during fishing operations are released alive. In addition to the provisions in paragraph 2, CCPs shall require any fishing vessel flying their flag and operating in the Agreement Area using demersal pots or traps to ensure the cleanliness of the traps and pots not to attract birds, and ensure that buoy lines shall not be left floating at the surface. The Scientific Committee and the Compliance Committee will review this CMM every four years, unless the Meeting of the Parties decides otherwise.
2019-01-01