5th Regional Observer Programme Intersessional Working Group

The Commission at WCPFC21 in December 2024, tasked the ROP-IWG to discuss adding non-fish transfers to the observer minimum data fields for monitoring transshipment (WCPFC21 Summary Report paragraph 511).  This task stemmed from some discussions around the review of the Transhipment CMM (CMM 2009-06), which recognized the challenges in identifying and understanding these transfers during transhipment and identified that enhanced reporting mechanisms were critical for validating and verifying activities within the Convention Area. 

Specifically, a proposal was made to the Transhipment IWG during 2024, that Annexes I and III of the Transhipment CMM, that set out information to be included in WCPFC Transhipment Declaration and Notices (Notifications) to the Executive Director should include the following:

• In Annex 1 declaration - “7. Did non-fish transfer occur? (yes or no”) If yes, provide details of this non-fish transfer, including the exchange of crew (numbers) and provision of supplies between vessels. “
• In Annex 3 notification – “7. Will non-fish transfers occur? (“Yes” or “No”). If yes, provide details of this proposed non-fish transfer, including the exchange of crew (numbers) and provision of supplies between vessels.”
• To support this requirement, a definition of non-fish transfer could be included in a footnote which draws on the definition from the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) CMM – ““means a transfer of fuel, gear, materials, or other supplies, or a transfer of at least one person, from one fishing vessel to another fishing vessel in the Convention Area”

The basis for this proposal underlined the importance of verifying instances where carrier and fishing vessels met but no transhipment notification was reported to the Secretariat (i.e. no catch transferred – but where there was potentially a non-fish transfer between vessels). This information should reduce the number of potential compliance enquiries, especially as the Secretariat has developed tools to identify when vessels are in close proximity.

Participants in the virtual meeting will be invited to share views, proposals and comments on the task of defining non-fish transfers and the supporting data fields that would be added to reflect non-fish transfers in the observer minimum data fields for monitoring transshipment. The Chair will lead a discussion on the next steps.