The Conservation and Management Measure adopted under the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) establishes a framework for the authorisation and notification of fishing vessels operating in the Agreement Area, with the objective of maintaining a centralised Record of Authorised Vessels in accordance with the Agreement. The measure requires Contracting Parties and cooperating entities to submit specified vessel information electronically to the Executive Secretary, including detailed data on vessel identity, ownership, technical characteristics, fishing capacity, gear types, monitoring systems, and communication equipment, for inclusion in the Record. It imposes obligations on Parties to authorise only vessels capable of complying with SIOFA rules, to prevent the registration of vessels with a history of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and to ensure that vessel records are updated regularly. The Secretariat is mandated to maintain and publish a non-confidential version of the Record, while vessels not listed are prohibited from conducting fishing-related activities in the Area.
2024-01-01