Summary of Data requirements for carrier vessels

Carrier vessels must comply with all appliable CMMs including following the Data standards and reporting requirements, maintaining up to date vessel records, reporting positional data to Commission VMS, and carrying observers at all times while engaged in transhipments. There are a number of data related and submission requirements set out in CMM 01, 02, 05, and 12 and summarized below that flag States that have authorised carrier (receiving) vessels must follow:

CMM 01 (Trachurus Murphyi) - Jack mackerel (CJM) fishery only

Paragraph 19 “They shall also notify the Executive Secretary of the vessels that are actively fishing or engaged in transhipment in the Convention Area within 20 days of the end of each month.”
This means that by the 20^th of each month, the flag State is required to send a list of the vessels that were engaged in transhipment for the Jack mackerel fishery in the Convention Area using the Monthly Return (CJM) template Monthly Return (CJM). Instructions are available in the CMM01 Monthly Return (CJM) explanatory document.

CMM 02 (Data Standards) - All fisheries

Paragraph 1c “ensure that data on landings and transhipment are collected from vessels according to Annexes 11 and 12 respectively”
And Paragraph 1d “Members and CNCPs will provide by the 30th June, their previous (January to December) year’s data on fishing activities and the impacts of fishing described in sections 1b) – 1c) above. “
This means that by 30 June of each year the flag State is required to send a complete set of Transhipment data for the previous calendar year for all fisheries (including both jack mackerel and squid) using the Transhipment Details template . Instructions are available in the CMM12 Operational details explanatory document.

CMM 02 (Data Standards) - All fisheries

Paragraph 1c “ensure that data on landings and transhipment are collected from vessels according to Annexes 11 and 12 respectively”
And Paragraph 1d “Members and CNCPs will provide by the 30 June, their previous (January to December) year’s data on fishing activities and the impacts of fishing described in sections 1b) – 1c) above. “
This also means that by 30 June of each year the flag State is required to send a complete set of Reefer landings data for the previous calendar year for all fisheries (including both jack mackerel (CJM) and squid (GIS) using the Reefer Vessel Landings template. Instructions are available in the CMM02 Reefer Landings explanatory notes.
Paragraph 2c - Observer data should be provided to the Secretariat of the SPRFMO in a standardised format, to be included in the SPRFMO Observer Database. Specifications and standards for observer data submissions are on the SPRFMO website. Until the Secretariat determines a change is needed, observer data will be submitted in Microsoft Excel format. Members and CNCPs will provide by 30 September, their previous (January to December) year’s data.

CMM 02 (Data Standards) - All Members and CNCPs

Paragraph 7 “In order to facilitate the work of the Scientific Committee, Members and CNCPs shall submit reports on an annual basis in order to keep the Scientific Committee informed, in a concise format, of their fishing, research, management activities over the previous year and include information pursuant to paragraph 44 of CMM 16- 2021 (Observer Programme). A “nil report” is still required in cases where there was no fishing inside the Convention Area. These reports should be prepared in accordance with the existing guidelines for such reports and shall be submitted to the Executive Secretary at least one month before each Scientific Committee meeting in order to ensure that the Scientific Committee has an adequate opportunity to consider the reports in its deliberations.”
This means that one month before the Scientific Committee meeting each year (deadline available in the annual guideline to key data submission dates available on the data submission page of the website but usually around the beginning of September), the flag State must submit an Annual Report using the SC Guidelines. If there was transhipment activity only then a “nil report” is still required, but it can be as simple as an email to the Secretariat to inform us that no active fishing occurred, and that the email should be taken as the “nil report”.

CMM 05 (Record of Vessels) - All fisheries except Jack mackerel (CJM)

Paragraph 13 “To this end each Member and CNCP participating in fishing activities in the Convention shall notify the Executive Secretary of the vessels that are actively fishing or engaged in transhipment in the Convention Area. In the case of vessels involved in the Trachurus murphyi fishery, this information shall be submitted within 20 days of the end of each month. For vessels involved in other fisheries within the Convention Area, this information shall be submitted on annual basis, within 30 days of the end of the year.”
This means that by 30 January the flag State is required to send a list of vessels that were engaged in transhipment in the previous year (apart from for vessels engaged in transhipment only in the Trachurus Murphyi fishery, which would have been provided under CMM01 within 20 days of the end of the month).

CMM 12 (Transhipment) - All Fisheries

EFFECTIVE 01 OCTOBER 2025 - CMM12-2024 entered into force. This measure harmonizes reporting requirements and timelines regardless of the SPRFMO Resource (species) involved or the location of the transhipment. Transshipment of SPRFMO Resources can only occur between vessels authorised on the SPRFMO Record of Vessels. A fishing vessel cannot operate as both an unloading fishing vessel and a receiving fishing vessel during the same trip (except in case of a force majeure event). There are significant requirements placed on receiving fishing (carrier) vessels to provide advance notifications and update information accordingly if there are any changes in circumstances. Additionally all receiving vessels must have observers onboard. Receiving vessels shall only engage in transhipments when there is a dedicated observer(s) present to monitor and report separately on each transhipment. Simultaneous transhipments are permitted, but only if there is a dedicated observer available to solely monitor each transhipment separately (i.e. requires the vessel to carry more than 1 observer).

Advance Notification (Paragraph 5): The competent authorities of the receiving fishing vessel (carrier vessel) shall notify the Secretariat, at least 36 hours in advance of a transhipment, of fisheries resources caught in the Convention Area, regardless of where the transhipment takes place. The receiving vessel's Advanced Transhipment Notification must include the Annex 1 information and completed using the prescribed template.
Updating an Advance Notification Information (Paragraph 6): If the transhipment does not start within 72 hours of the estimated start time or within 50 nautical miles of the estimated location notified in the advance notification, the competent authorities of the receiving fishing vessel shall notify the Secretariat of the modified Annex 1 information as soon as possible.
Cancelling an Advance Notification (Paragraph 7): If a notified transhipment does not occur, the competent authorities of the receiving fishing vessel shall notify the Secretariat as soon as possible but no later than five working days after the notified time of the transhipment.
Stowage Plan Required (Paragraph 8): If a receiving fishing vessel engages in more than one transhipment, the Member or CNCP of the vessel shall require it to store the catch from each transhipment separately so that it is readily identifiable. The receiving fishing vessel shall have a stowage plan available on board that provides for this separation of catch from different unloading fishing vessels.
Observer Transhipment Log Sheet Completion (Paragraph 9): A Member or CNCP shall require receiving fishing vessels that engage in transhipment at sea to have an observer on board to monitor and record the information in the required Observer Transhipment Log sheet in Annex 2 using the prescribed template.
Observer Transhipment Log Sheet Submission (Paragraph 10): The observer shall complete the Observer Transhipment Log sheet in Annex 2 and provide this information to the competent authorities of the observed receiving fishing vessel and the Secretariat electronically no later than 30 days from debarkation.
Post Transhipment Declaration (Paragraph 11): Members and CNCPs shall require receiving fishing vessels that tranship to prepare a transhipment declaration including the information in Annex 3 using the prescribed template.
Transhipment Declaration Submission (Paragraph 11): The competent authorities of the receiving fishing vessel
shall submit the declaration to the Secretariat in the first half of each month after the transhipment is
completed (I.e. All Transhipments undertaken in any given month must be reported on or before the 15th day of the following month).
NOTE 1 (Paragraph 13): All data relating to transhipment events such as advanced transhipment notifications, observer log sheets, and transhipment declarations, shall be provided to the Secretariat of SPRFMO in a standardised format. The standardised templates and instructions for submission of transhipment data are detailed on the SPRFMO website.
NOTE 2 (Paragraph 14): The competent authorities may authorise the vessel operator to directly report required information to the Secretariat electronically (e.g., by email); should the Secretariat require any clarification, those requests shall be directed to the competent authorities of the relevant vessel.

If you require clarification on the process or have specific questions please contact the Data Manager ([email protected]).