SPRFMO COMPLIANCE

Article 27 (Monitoring, Compliance, and Enforcement) of the SPRFMO Convention requires that the Commission shall establish appropriate cooperative procedures for effective monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing and to ensure compliance with the Convention and the conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission. This includes, inter alia, establishing a Commission record of vessels, a satellite vessel monitoring system, and an inspection regime (at-sea and port), as well as the regulation and supervision of transshipment, the marking of vessels and fishing gear, the recording of fishing activity and addressing IUU fishing activities.

Collectively, these activities are addressed in a number of Conservation and Management Measures, including:

CMM 10 (CMS): Requires Members and CNCPs submit an annual Implementation report, indicating how it has implemented the conservation and management measures and compliance and enforcement procedures adopted by the Commission. The Secretariat compiles information received from Members and CNCPs including their Implementation Reports, data collection programmes of the Commission and, where appropriate, any suitably documented information provided by other relevant sources, and prepares a Draft Compliance Report. Following review and feedback on the Draft Compliance Report (restricted), and the subsequent Provisional Compliance Report (restricted) developed by the CTC, the Commission adopts a Final Compliance Report (public) which includes a compliance status for each Member and CNCP with respect to the implementation of their obligations under the Convention and CMMs.

Implementation Reports
Draft Compliance Reports (login required)
Final Compliance Reports

CMM 04 (IUU Vessel List): Through a stepwise consideration and review process, as outlined in CMM 04, the Commission considers and adopts a list of vessels presumed to have carried out Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Activities in the SPRFMO Convention Area, known as the IUU Vessel List.

IUU Vessel Lists

CMM 06 (Commission VMS): The purpose of the Commission VMS is to continuously monitor the movements and activity of all fishing vessels (as defined in paragraph 1(h) of the SPRFMO Convention) that are on the Commission Record of Vessels and are authorised by Members or CNCPs to fish for fisheries resources in the SPRFMO Convention Area in a cost-effective manner in order to, inter alia, support the implementation of SPRFMO CMMs. At each annual meeting the Secretariat provides a report on the implementation and operation of the Commission VMS.

Commission VMS Implementation and Operation Reports

CMM 07 (Port Inspections): The Secretariat maintains a register of designated ports to which foreign fishing vessels may request entry pursuant to CMM 07, and a list of port State points of contact for the purpose of receiving requests to use their ports and for the receipt of inspection reports. The Secretariat reports annually on implementation of CMM 07.

With respect to the Implementation report, commencing with the 2024 Annual SPRFMO meeting, the summary of at-sea boarding and Inspections information was incorporated as a new section within the former Port Inspections Implementation Report (retitled to remove the word "PORT").

Inspections Implementation Reports

CMM 11-2023 (At-Sea Boarding and Inspection): With the entry into force on 01 October 2023 of the SPRFMO specific at-seas boarding and inspection (B&I) procedures the information requirements and Member submissions prior to conducting at-seas B&I has changed. CMM 11-2023 requires that Contracting Parties and Fishing Entities intending to carry out B&I activities in the SPRFMO Area notify the Commission and provide information pertaining to each authorised inspection vessel and the relevant Authorities of Inspection Vessels. Only those who have provided the relevant information (posted on the website and accessible via the following link) can carry out SPRFMO at-sea boarding and inspections pursuant to CMM 11-2023.

CMM 11-2023 At-Sea Boarding and Inspection Vessels and Authorities

Note: Prior to a SPRFMO specific Boarding and Inspection Measure (CMM11-2023) entering into force on 01 October 2023, under prior CMM 11 provisions, SPRFMO adopted the Boarding and Inspection Procedures detailed in the 1995 UN Fishstock Agreement, Articles 21 and 22. The Secretariat maintained a list of information submitted in accordance with UNFSA Article 21.r that remains available through the following link.

At Sea Boarding and Inspection Information (prior to Oct 2023)