WCPFC Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) and Compliance Monitoring

Introduction 

Fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) consists of three distinct, integrated activities, defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as follows:

• monitoring - the continuous requirement for the measurement of fishing effort characteristics and resource yields (and catches);
• control - the regulatory conditions under which the exploitation of the resource may be conducted; and
• surveillance - the degree and types of observations required to maintain compliance with the regulatory controls imposed on fishing activities.

Several elements of the Commission’s MCS Scheme (regulatory framework) were elaborated during the Preparatory Conference process from 2001 to 2004 and became operational on adoption during the Commission’s Inaugural Session in December 2004.  These included the WCPFC Record of Fishing Vessels and Authorizations to Fish on the High Seas in the Convention Area (CMM 2018-06, which replaced CMM 2013-10, CMM 2004-01 and CMM 2009-01), Procedures for Cooperating Non-members (CMM 2019-01, which replaced CMM 2009-11 and CMM 2004-02) and Specifications for the Marking and Identification of Fishing Vessels (CMM 2004-03). 

The Commission has since adopted:

• High Seas Boarding and Inspection Procedures consistent with Articles 21 and 22 of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (CMM 2006-08);
• Regional Observer Programme (ROP), which pursuant to CMM 2007-01 (Annex C) the ROP became operational on 31 December 2008 (CMM 2018-05);
• Centralised Vessel Monitoring System (Commission VMS) activated on 1 April 2009 (CMM 2014-02);
• WCPFC IUU List since 2008 (CMM 2019-07);
• Prohibition on use of large-scale driftnets (CMM 2008-04);
• Regulation on Transshipment (CMM 2009-06);
• Rules for FAD and purse seine catch retention in high seas (CMM 2009-02);
• Compliance Monitoring Scheme (implemented since 2011) (CMM 2023-04);
• Associated with the WCPFC's Record of Fishing Vessels
  • Charter Notification Scheme (implemented since 2013) (CMM 2021-04); 
  • Standards, Specifications and Procedures for the Record of Fishing Vessels (CMM 2022-05); 
  • Conservation and Management Measure for WCPFC Implementation of a Unique Vessel Identifier (UVI) (CMM 2013-04); and
• Port State Minimum Standards (CMM 2017-02);
• Electronic reporting standards for logbook and observer data, as well as high seas transhipment reporting (2017/18, 2019)
• Rules for protection of, access to and dissemination of data compiled by the WCPFC (2007 and 2009)