VMEs in bottom fishing
Article 14
1. Until the SPRFMO Scientific Committee has developed advice on threshold levels, Member States shall establish threshold levels for encounters with VMEs for fishing vessels flying their flag, taking into account paragraph 68 of the Deep-sea Fisheries Guidelines of the FAO. 2. Member States shall require fishing vessels flying their flag to cease bottom fishing activities within five nautical miles of any site in the SPRFMO Convention Area where encounters exceed the threshold levels established pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article. Member States shall report encounters with VMEs to the Commission on the basis of the guidelines set out in Annex IV. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat without delay.