TCC SWG OPS - Amendments to the Vessel Registry Conservation Management Measure

The North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) requires all Commission members and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties (CNCPs) to maintain a record of all fishing vessels entitled to fly its flag and authorized to fish in the Convention Area. These parties are also required to take measures to ensure that all fishing vessels are entered into the Commission vessel registry.  The accurate and timely maintenance of this registry is critical for an effective compliance monitoring scheme and will allow members to prevent, deter, and combat IUU fishing activity throughout the Convention Area.

In 2021 Commission members were tasked to review the vessel registry requirements under the Conservation Management Measure on Information Requirements for Vessel Registration (CMM 2021-01). The purpose of this review was to ensure the registry adequately captures necessary information with appropriate field instructions to allow this tool to be utilized effectively within the NPFC Compliance Monitoring Scheme.  Through the Technical Compliance Committee, the Operations Small Working Group has proposed a revision to Annex 1 List of Fields in the NPFC Vessel Registry and their Format and Content to align field descriptions to ensure effective compliance monitoring.