Objection to CMM 1.01

On 25 April 2013 the Russian Federation presented the Executive Secretary with an objection, under Article 17 of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean (the Convention), to the Conservation and Management Measure for Trachurus murphyi (CMM 1.01), which was adopted by the Commission at its first meeting at the beginning of this year.

In its objection, the Russian Federation states that the division of shares in the catch limit of Trachurus murphyi for 2013, as set out in CMM 1.01, demonstrates an unjustifiable discrimination against the Russian Federation in form and in fact, and is inconsistent with the provisions of the Convention . The Russian Federation states that the Commission has neither grounds nor competence to review the catch data presented by the Parties .

The alternative measure that the Russian Federation establishes in its objection is a Trachurus murphyi catch limit in the Convention area in respect of the Russian fisheries equal to 19,944 tonnes for 2013.

In accordance with the Convention, a Review Panel will be established to consider the objection. The timeframe for the establishment of the Review Panel started with the expiry of the objection period, on 1 May 2013.

The text of CMM 1.01 is Annex G to the Report of the first Commission meeting and can be accessed here.