Seabirds
1. Longline vessels that use hydraulic, mechanical or electrical systems and that fish for species covered by the Convention in the area north of 23°N and south of 30°S, and the area bounded by the coastline at 2°N, west to 2°N-95°W, south to 15°S-95°W, east to 15°S-85°W, and south to 30°S shall apply at least two of the mitigation measures contained in the table in the Annex to this Regulation including at least one from Column A. Vessels shall not use the same measure from Column A and Column B.
2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, side-setting with bird curtains and weighted branch lines shall only be applied in the area north of 23°N until research establishes the utility of this measure in waters south of 30°S. The use of side-setting with a bird curtain and weighted branch lines from column A shall be counted as two mitigation measures.
3. If the tori line is selected from both Column A and Column B, that shall equate to simultaneously using two (i.e. paired) tori lines.
Sea turtles
1. Union fishing vessels shall promptly release, in a manner that causes the least harm to the extent practicable, all sea turtles, without compromising the safety of any persons. At least one member of a Union fishing vessel’s crew shall be trained in techniques for handling and release of sea turtles to improve survival after release.
2. Member States shall continue to participate in and promote research to identify techniques to further reduce sea turtle bycatch in all gear types used in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
3. The master of a purse seine vessel shall:
(a)
avoid encirclement of sea turtles to the extent practicable and carry on board, and employ when appropriate, safe-handling tools for the release of sea turtles and take all reasonable steps, in the event that a sea turtle is sighted in a purse seine net, to ensure its safe release;
(b)
take the actions necessary to monitor FADs for the entanglement of sea turtles, and ensure the release of all sea turtles entangled in FADs;
(c)
record all observed interactions involving sea turtles during purse seine fishing operations and report such information to the national authorities.
4. Masters of longline vessels shall:
(a)
carry on-board and, when sea turtle interactions occur, employ the necessary equipment (e.g. de-hookers, line cutters, and scoop nets) for the prompt release of sea turtles incidentally caught;
(b)
when the majority of hooks fish at depths shallower than 100 metres, employ one of the following two mitigation measures: large circle hooks or the use only of finfish for bait;
(c)
report any interactions to the national authorities.
5. Member States shall support research and development of modified FAD designs to reduce sea turtle entanglement as well as take measures to encourage the use of designs found to be successful at such reduction.
Protection of dolphins
Only Union fishing vessels operating under the conditions laid down in the Agreement which have been allocated a Dolphin Mortality Limit (DML) shall be authorised to encircle schools or groups of dolphins with purse seines when fishing for yellowfin tunas in Convention area.
