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FishNews May 18, 2007

WARNING: Consult IUU Fishing Lists Before Making Commercial Arrangements

Illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) vessel lists have been created to combat IUU fishing practices and attach certain penalties to vessels included on such lists; therefore, it is advisable to consult these lists before making commercial arrangements with listed vessels. They may be subject to such penalties as restricted port access or unloading prohibitions.

An increasing number of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) have adopted procedures for listing vessels that have engaged in IUU fishing. Some of these lists, like ICCAT's, are intended to include only fishing vessels; others, like NAFO's, can include transport vessels as well.

NOAA Fisheries, on behalf of the U.S. Government, is designing a system that will implement our obligations to apply these RFMO decisions to vessels that have been included on IUU vessel lists. In the meantime, U.S. industry should be aware that the RFMOs identified below have already or are anticipated to be creating IUU vessel lists; some countries are already restricting port access, among other things, to listed vessels.

International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and Indian Ocean Tuna Commission: (IOTC): http://www.tuna-org.org/vesselneg.htm.

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO): www.nafo.int.

Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC): www.neafc.org.

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC): www.wcpfc.int (WCPFC does not currently have an IUU list but has adopted a measure authorizing one.)

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR): www.ccamlr.org.

Please contact Mark Wildman or Kelly Denit at (301) 713-2276 with any questions about this announcement.

FEDERAL REGISTER ACTIONS

For a list of only those actions open for public comment, try going to http://www.regulations.gov and scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal register online at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.

For more information, contact Editor.Fishnews@noaa.gov. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or search the FishNews archives using a keyword, go to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov and click on the FishNews icon.

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