Purse seine fisheries
Article 37
1. Purse seine fishing vessels shall not fish for yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ), bigeye tuna ( Thunnus obesus ) or skipjack tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis ): (a) either from 00:00 hours on 6 August 2026 to 24:00 hours on 8 October 2026 or from 00:00 hours on 9 November 2026 to 24:00 hours on 11 January 2027 in the area defined by the following limits: — the Pacific coastlines of the Americas, — longitude 150° W, — latitude 40° N, — latitude 40° S; and (b) from 00:00 hours on 9 October 2026 to 24:00 hours on 8 November 2026 in the area defined by the following limits: — longitude 96° W, — longitude 110° W, — latitude 4° N, — latitude 3° S. 2. For each of the fishing vessels referred to in paragraph 1 and flying the flag of a Member State, that flag Member State shall inform the Commission before 15 June 2026 which of the closure periods referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), the fishing vessel has selected. 3. Purse seine fishing vessels fishing for tuna in the IATTC Convention area shall retain on board and then tranship or land all yellowfin, bigeye and skipjack tuna that they catch. 4. Paragraph 3 shall not apply: (a) where the fish is considered unfit for human consumption for reasons other than size; or (b) during the final set of a trip, when there may be insufficient well space remaining to accommodate all the tuna caught in that set. 5. For each of the purse seine fishing vessels fishing in the IATTC Convention area and flying the flag of a Member State, that flag Member State shall transmit to the Commission by 1 February data on annual catches of bigeye tuna in the IATTC Convention area in the previous year. The Commission shall compile and promptly transmit that information to the IATTC Secretariat. 6. The closure periods referred to in paragraph 1 shall be extended for Union purse seine fishing vessels, on the basis of their catches of bigeye tuna in the IATTC Convention area during the previous year, as follows: (a) for fishing vessels that caught between 1 200 tonnes and 1 499 tonnes, the closure period is extended by 10 days; (b) for fishing vessels that caught between 1 500 tonnes and 1 799 tonnes, the closure period is extended by 13 days; (c) for fishing vessels that caught between 1 800 tonnes and 2 099 tonnes, the closure period is extended by 16 days; (d) for fishing vessels that caught between 2 100 tonnes and 2 399 tonnes, the closure period is extended by 19 days; and (e) for fishing vessels that caught 2 400 tonnes or more, the closure period is extended by 22 days. 7. The extensions of the closure periods referred to in the paragraph 6 apply as follows: (a) for the closure period referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), the additional days are added before the start of that closure period; and (b) for the closure period referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), the additional days are added after the end of that closure period. 8. For each of the fishing vessels concerned, the relevant flag Member State shall inform the Commission of the extensions of the closure periods when informing the Commission of the selected closure periods pursuant to paragraph 2.