WCPFC shares High Seas Boarding and Inspection Scheme experience.
A seminar on High Seas Boarding and Inspection Schemes in the context of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), was held from 13 – 14 September 2023 in Vigo, Spain. Hosted by the European Union with the support of the European Fisheries Control Agency, the purpose of the seminar was to review and exchange experiences of High Seas Boarding and Inspection activities across different ocean regions.
WCPFC’s Compliance Manager, Dr Lara Manarangi-Trott, and Assistance Compliance Manager, Ms. Eidre Sharp, participated virtually as guest speakers, joining Mr. Andrew Wright, from New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries, to provide an overview of the WCPFC’s High Seas Boarding and Inspection Scheme.
The origin of WCPFC’s High Seas Boarding and Inspection Scheme is enshrined in the WCPFC Convention and to date, the Scheme has facilitated more than 970 independent boarding and inspection activities of WCPFC member vessels in the high seas of the Convention Area. Currently there are 270 registered inspection vessels for the fourteen WCPFC members, who may board and inspect vessels of other WCPFC CCMs in the high seas of the Convention Area.
The WCPFCs High Seas Boarding and Inspection Scheme is one of many monitoring and verification tools supporting CCMs meeting Commission objectives. Agreed procedures require Inspection Vessels fly the special WCPFC Inspection Flag (see inset) and submit notifications to flag States prior to commencing boarding, and full reports of inspections are sent to the flag State and WCPFC Secretariat after completing the boarding.
Further information on the WCPFC’s High Seas Boarding and Inspection Scheme, including the updated list of Inspection Vessels, can be found on WCPFCs website: https://www.wcpfc.int/high-seas-boarding-inspection
For further information, please contact: wcpfc@wcpfc.int
About WCPFC
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is one of five global tuna regional fisheries management organizations, responsible for the conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory fish stocks, particularly tuna, in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Established in 2004, the WCPFC comprises 34 member countries and territories, and seven cooperating-non-members dedicated to promoting the sustainable management of the world’s largest tuna fishery. The WCPFC Secretariat is headquartered in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.