CMM 2025-17, adopted by the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), establishes the NPFC Transshipment Observer Program to strengthen monitoring of transshipment activities in the Convention Area and support implementation of NPFC conservation measures. Administered by the NPFC Secretariat, the program deploys independent observers on receiving vessels to verify transshipment data, collect fisheries information, and monitor compliance with NPFC rules, with annual reporting to the Commission. The Secretariat may contract observer service providers to recruit, train, equip, and deploy observers, while Members and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties must accept observers on vessels, ensure safety standards, and provide full access to records, holds, and facilities. Observers are responsible for monitoring each transshipment, verifying species and quantities (including bycatch and unregulated species), checking consistency with advance notifications and declarations, and submitting detailed observer transshipment reports. The measure also establishes safety protections and emergency procedures for observers, including mandatory responses to illness, disappearance, or death, and requires Members to investigate and sanction misconduct. Program costs are funded through fees paid by flag States of offloading vessels wishing to transship, and vessels may not conduct transshipments unless the fees are paid.
2025-01-01