Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement

 

SUMMARY OF:

Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)

Decision 2006/496/EC – the signing, on behalf of the European Community, of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE DECISION?

The Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) aims to:

• ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources in the area through cooperation between the contracting parties*;
• promote sustainable development of fisheries in the area;
• take account of the needs of developing countries bordering the area, particularly the least-developed and small-island developing states.

Decision 2006/496/EC approves the agreement.

KEY POINTS

The agreement covers international waters between eastern Africa and western Australia (basically south of 10 degrees north and north of 60 degrees south, excluding all waters under national jurisdiction). The fishery resources within the scope of the agreement are all resources of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and other sedentary species within that area, but excluding sedentary species subject to the fishery jurisdiction of coastal states and highly migratory species.

The agreement allows for the participation of any fishing entity whose vessels have fished or intend to fish for SIOFA fishery resources in the area.

Contracting parties and participating fishing entities apply the following principles:

• adopt measures based on the best available scientific evidence for the long-term conservation of fishery resources;
• take account of the sustainable use of such resources and apply an ecosystem approach to their management;
• ensure that the level of fishing activity is in line with sustainable use of resources;
• apply the precautionary principle whereby the absence of adequate scientific information is not a reason to postpone or take protective measures;
• manage resources to maintain maximum sustainable yields and allow depleted stocks to rebuild;
• minimise the harmful impact of fishing practices on the marine environment;
• protect biodiversity in the marine environment;
• recognise the special requirements of developing countries bordering the area, especially the least-developed and small-island developing states.

Contracting parties and participating fishing entities:

• meet periodically as the ‘meeting of the parties’ to discuss and decide by consensus the agreement’s implementation;
• review the state of fishery resources and fishing activities;
• promote research and cooperation with coastal states on fishery resources in waters under national jurisdiction;
• evaluate the impact of fishing on fish stocks and the marine environment;
• take the necessary conservation and management measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fishery resources;
• adopt international minimum standards for responsible fishing;
• develop rules to collect, verify and publish scientific and statistical data;
• apply monitoring, control and surveillance rules, including boarding and inspecting ships on the high seas;
• prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;
• set and allocate fishing opportunities, including total allowable catches or total fishing effort.

The agreement establishes the following bodies.

• A Scientific Committee to assess fishery resources and the impact of fishing on the marine environment, and to provide scientific advice and recommendations on conservation, management, monitoring and fishery data collection.
• A Compliance Committee to verify compliance with the agreement and conservation and management measures.
• A Secretariat to implement and coordinate administration, keep a complete record of all proceedings and archive official documents.

The agreement contains obligations for contracting parties and participating fishing entities to:

• effectively implement the agreement and its conservation and management measures;
• collect and annually exchange detailed, accurate and timely scientific, technical and statistical data on fishery resources and their vessels’ activities;
• report on implementation and their compliance with the agreement and its conservation and management measures;
• ensure that their nationals and fishing vessels comply with the agreement;
• keep a record of all national vessels fishing in the area and exchange its contents;
• investigate alleged violations and report on action taken in response.

The agreement contains specific obligations for flag states* to:

• ensure that their fishing vessels respect and do not undermine the agreement and its conservation and management measures, and do not fish illegally in adjacent waters under national jurisdiction;
• implement a satellite monitoring system for their vessels fishing in the area.

The agreement contains specific obligations for port states* to:

• inspect documents, fishing gear and catch of fishing vessels using their ports and offshore terminals;
• not permit landings, transshipment and supply services for fishing vessels having caught fish in contravention with the agreement and its conservation and management measures.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

The agreement was signed on 7 July 2006. It entered into force in June 2012.

BACKGROUND

For further information see:

• SIOFA.

KEY TERMS

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) (OJ L 196, 18.7.2006, pp. 15–24).

Council Decision 2006/496/EC of 6 July 2006 on the signing, on behalf of the European Community, of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (OJ L 196, 18.7.2006, p. 14).

last update 13.07.2022