Sittings · Document
On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Regulation (EU) 2018/975 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Convention Area, Regulation (EU) 2019/833 laying down conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, Regulation (EU) 2021/56 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention, Regulation (EU) 2022/2056 laying down conservation and management measures applicable in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Area, Regulation (EU) 2022/2343 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Area of Competence, and Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean
Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Thomas Bajada
Parliament's amended version of the Commission proposal updates seven EU regulations transposing conservation, management and control measures agreed in six regional fisheries management organisations. It adds new rules on whale sharks, mobulid rays, sharks, cetaceans, observers, transhipment, gillnets, fishing gear, data protection and delegated powers.¶¶¶ It requires Member States and masters to report, record and transmit data to the Commission or a designated body, and sets storage limits for personal data of 10 years, extendable to 20 years for infringements, inspections or judicial procedures.¶¶¶ It amends rules on bluefin tuna, drifting and anchored fish aggregating devices, electronic monitoring, seabird bycatch, port inspections and serious infringements, and deletes several recitals and articles.¶¶¶ It calls for socio-economic considerations, coordination with Member States, and strict transposition of international recommendations without adding restrictions beyond them.¶¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Fisheries proposes to amend the Commission proposal to integrate missing RFMO recommendations, add socio-economic and data protection provisions, and ensure strict transposition without additional restrictions.¶¶¶
Key points
- Deletes recitals stating that the measures are binding on the Union and should be implemented into Union law.¶¶¶
- Adds recitals on food sovereignty, socio-economic impact, strict transposition, delegated powers and data protection.¶¶¶
- Prohibits retaining, transhipping or landing whale sharks and setting purse seines on tuna associated with whale sharks, and requires safe release.¶
- Sets conditions for retaining South Atlantic shortfin mako and prohibits retaining mobulid rays.¶¶¶
- Requires Member States to record and report discards and releases of mobulid rays.¶
- Replaces confidentiality articles with data protection rules, including storage limits of 10 years and 20 years.¶¶¶
- Amends SPRFMO rules on bottom fishing, observers, transhipment, gillnets, VMS, port inspections and serious infringements.¶¶¶
- Amends IATTC rules on purse seine closures, FADs, electronic monitoring, sharks and reporting deadlines.¶¶¶
- Amends IOTC rules on fishing closures, DFADs, AFADs, seabird mitigation and electronic monitoring.¶¶¶
- Amends ICCAT bluefin tuna rules on joint fishing operations, prior notification, caging and margins of error.¶¶¶
- Adds a prohibition on catching, retaining, transhipping, storing, landing or selling cetaceans by longline and purse seine vessels.¶
- Deletes articles on guidelines for shark handling and on EM data storage, and moves the EMS definition to Article 3.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Union fishing vessels and their masters and crews, who must follow new handling, reporting and gear rules.¶¶¶
- Member States, which must report, record, inspect and transmit data to the Commission or a designated body.¶¶¶
- The Commission, which must forward information to RFMO secretariats and adopt delegated acts.¶¶¶
- Observer programmes and service providers, which must ensure independence, safety and dispute resolution.¶¶¶
- Fishing operators and coastal communities, whose socio-economic viability the amendments aim to consider.¶¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- Personal data stored for a period of 10 years, extendable to 20 years for infringements, inspections or judicial procedures.¶¶¶
- Union fishing vessels equal to or greater than 12 metres in length overall may retain South Atlantic shortfin mako only if dead on haulback and with observer or EMS.¶
- Vessels of less than 12 metres in length overall may retain no more than one specimen of South Atlantic shortfin mako per fishing trip.¶
- Member States shall report catches to the Commission within 5 days of the end of each 15-day period; the Commission shall transmit to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 10 days.¶
- Member States shall report to the Commission by 15 January each year the list of vessels that fished or transhipped for species other than jack mackerel; the Commission shall transmit by 30 January.¶
- Transhipment notification at least 36 hours in advance; if not started within 72 hours or within 50 nautical miles, modified notification no later than 24 hours from actual start.¶¶
- Purse seine vessels exceeding annual catch limits face longer closure periods, with additional days ranging from 10 to 22 days depending on the limit exceeded.¶
- DFADs of category V no longer deployed as of 1 January 2026; only categories I and II as of 1 January 2027; only category I as of 1 January 2029.¶¶¶
Legal basis: Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.