Sittings · Document

Adopted text 2026-09-15

Implementation into Union law of measures adopted by regional fisheries management organisations

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 22 Sept 2026

Parliament's position at first reading amends seven EU fisheries regulations to bring in measures adopted by six regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs). It lays down rules on whale sharks, mobulid rays, mako sharks, silky sharks, cetaceans, seabirds, drifting and anchored fish aggregating devices, bottom fishing, transhipment, port controls and high seas boarding and inspection. It sets observer programme standards, vessel marking and monitoring system rules, and data protection rules allowing personal data storage of up to 10 years, or 20 years for infringement follow-up. It empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts to update certain provisions quickly after future RFMO meetings.

Key points

  1. Bans retaining, transhipping or landing whale shark carcasses, setting purse seines on tuna schools with whale sharks, and requires safe release and observer recording between 40°N and 40°S.
  2. Bans retaining, transhipping, landing or storing mobulid rays, requires prompt release and surrender or discard of frozen rays, which may not be sold but may be donated.
  3. Allows South Atlantic shortfin mako retention only if dead on haul-back with an observer or electronic monitoring system; vessels of 12 metres or less may keep one specimen per trip.
  4. Restricts bottom fishing in the SPRFMO area to designated management areas, requires prior SPRFMO authorisation and impact assessments updated at least every three years.
  5. Requires vessels to cease bottom fishing within 1 nautical mile of a vulnerable marine ecosystem encounter and to report encounters; bans resuming until SPRFMO decides.
  6. Sets observer programme standards for SPRFMO: accreditation, independence, qualifications, training, safety equipment, insurance, rights and duties of observers, operators and masters.
  7. Requires vessels to accept high seas boarding and inspection, lists serious infringements, and requires flag states to investigate and act on alleged infringements.
  8. Bans discharging plastics at sea and requires retrieval of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, with notification to flag states within 48 hours.
  9. Bans discarding tropical tuna by purse seiners after the net is fully pursed and more than half retrieved, and requires retention and landing of most tuna catches.
  10. Sets rules for drifting fish aggregating devices: only purse seiners and supply vessels may deploy them, with non-entangling designs, biodegradability deadlines and reporting obligations.
  11. Bans retaining, transhipping, storing, landing or selling silky sharks by purse seiners, and limits longline silky shark bycatch to 20 % of the total catch.
  12. Requires safe release of sharks, bans gaffs and lifting by gills, and bans catching, retaining, transhipping, storing, landing or selling cetaceans by longline and purse seine vessels.

Who is affected

  • Union fishing vessels in ICCAT, SPRFMO, NAFO, IATTC, WCPFC and IOTC areas must follow new conservation, control and reporting rules.
  • Member States must run observer programmes, report data, inspect ports and investigate infringements.
  • Vessel operators and masters must accept observers, follow boarding and inspection rules and report gear losses.
  • The Commission receives delegated powers to update certain rules and forwards data to RFMO secretariats.

Figures and deadlines

  • Personal data stored up to 10 years, or up to 20 years for infringement follow-up.
  • Bottom fishing authorisation requests: 75 days before the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting; Commission forwards 60 days before.
  • Vessel monitoring system data reported at least once every 30 minutes for bottom fishing.
  • Gillnet transit: 72 hours advance notice; VMS reporting at least once every hour; lost gear reported within 48 hours.
  • Transhipment notification at least 36 hours in advance; modified notification within 24 hours; non-occurrence notified within five working days.
  • Observer transhipment log sheet submitted within 15 days of debarkation; flag state to Commission within 25 days; Commission to SPRFMO within 30 days.
  • Purse seine closure increased by 10 to 22 days depending on bigeye tuna catch limit exceeded.
  • Pacific bluefin tuna by-catches cannot exceed 10 metric tonnes per year.

Legal basis: 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.