Korea - Proposal to amend CMM2021-12 on the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)

Throughout the key documents of the NPFC, including the Convention and CMMs, it is not easy to find a definitive list of serious violations, as several definitions provided in different CMMs are not identical, and references in CMMs appear to be inconsistent.

For example, paragraph 38(m) of CMM 2021-09 for High Seas Boarding and Inspection Procedures for the NPFC provides that “intentionally tempering or disabling the vessel monitoring system” shall be considered a serious violation, but the relevant CMM on VMS, 2021-12, does not mention in its main text that the VMS must be temper-proof and any violation thereof shall be considered a serious violation.

Therefore, Korea proposes to introduce two new paragraphs that clarify these points so that the relevant CMMs can be consistent in terms of the definitions of serious violations.