Management of fishing with FADs
Article 43
1. In the part of the WCPFC Convention area located between 20° N and 20° S, purse seine fishing vessels, tender vessels, and any other vessels operating in support of purse seine fishing vessels, shall not deploy, service or set nets on FADs between 00:00 hours on 1 July 2026 and 24:00 hours on 15 August 2026. 2. In addition to the prohibition set out in paragraph 1, it shall be prohibited to set nets on FADs on the high seas of the WCPFC Convention area located between 20° N and 20° S for one additional month, from 00:00 hours on 1 April 2026 to 24:00 hours on 30 April 2026, or from 00:00 hours on 1 May 2026 to 24:00 hours on 31 May 2026, or from 00:00 hours on 1 November 2026 to 24:00 hours on 30 November 2026, or from 00:00 hours on 1 December 2026 to 24:00 hours on 31 December 2026. 3. The Member States concerned shall jointly determine which of the closure periods referred to in paragraph 2 shall apply to purse seine fishing vessels flying their flag. The Member States shall jointly inform the Commission by 15 February 2026 of the closure period selected. The Commission shall notify the secretariat of the WCPFC of the joint closure period selected by Member States concerned before 1 March 2026. 4. Each Member State shall ensure that none of its purse seine fishing vessels deploy at sea, at any time, more than 350 FADs with activated instrumented buoys. Buoys shall be activated exclusively on board a purse seine fishing vessel.