Article 2, Point (28) · Regulation (EU) 2024/897

Contents

(28)in Chapter V, Section 7, the following articles are inserted:‘Article 45bGeneral provisions1.Each farm Member State shall nominate a single competent authority responsible for coordinating the collection and verification of information on caging operations conducted within its jurisdiction, for the control of activities in farms under its jurisdiction, and for reporting to and cooperating with the competent authorities of the flag and trap Member States and CPCs of the vessels or traps that caught the caged tuna.2.All bluefin tuna fishery and farm activities shall be subject to the control set out in the annual monitoring, control and inspection plan submitted under Article 14.3.Member States involved in caging related activities shall exchange information and cooperate to ensure that the number and weight of bluefin tuna individuals intended for caging are accurate, consistent with the catch amounts reported by the master of the purse seine vessel or the trap operator and declared in the relevant sections of the eBCD.4.Farm Member States shall ensure that farm operators maintain at all times an accurate schematic plan of their farms, indicating the unique identifying numbers referred to in Article 45c, of all cages and their individual position in the farm. That plan shall be made available at all times to the competent authority of the farm Member State for control purposes and to the ICCAT regional observer deployed in the farm. Any update of the schematic plan shall be subject to prior notification to the competent authority of the farm Member State. The schematic plan shall be updated each time the number or distribution of farm cages is modified.5.The competent authority of the farm Member State shall retain all the information, documentation and material related to caging operations conducted in farms under its jurisdiction for at least 3 years and keep the information as long as necessary for enforcement purposes. This obligation shall apply mutatis mutandis to farm operators as regards caging operations conducted on their farms.Article 45cUnique identifying number1.Before the start of the bluefin tuna fishing campaign, the competent authority of the farm Member State shall assign a unique identifying number (“cage number”) to each cage associated to farms under its jurisdiction, including those cages used to transport the fish to the farm.2.Cage numbers shall be issued in accordance with a unique numbering system that includes at least the alpha-3 code corresponding to the farm Member State followed by three numbers. Cage numbers shall be permanent and not transferable from one cage to another.3.The cage numbers shall be stamped or painted on two opposite sides of the ring of the cage and above the water line, in a colour contrasting with the background on which they are painted or stamped and shall be visible and legible at any time for control purposes. The height of the letters and numbers shall be at least 20 cm with a line thickness of at least 4 cm.4.By way of derogation from paragraph 3, alternative methods to mark the cage number on the cage shall be allowed, provided that they offer the same guarantee of visibility, legibility and inviolability.Article 45dCaging authorisation1.Each caging operation shall be subject to the procedure set out in paragraphs 2 to 4.2.The farm operator shall request a caging authorisation to be issued by the competent authority of the farm Member State. The caging authorisation shall include the following information:

(a)the number and weight of the bluefin tuna individuals to be caged as referred to in the ITD;

(b)the relevant ITD;

(c)the number of the eBCDs concerned, as confirmed and validated by the competent authority of the catching flag or trap Member State or CPC;

(d)all reports of fish that die during transport, duly recorded in accordance with Annex XIII.

3.The competent authority of the farm Member State shall notify the information referred to in paragraph 2 to the relevant competent authorities of the catching flag or trap Member States or CPCs and shall ask for confirmation that the caging operation may be authorised.4.Within 3 working days, the competent authorities of the catching flag or trap Member States shall notify the competent authority of the farm Member State or CPC that the caging operation concerned may be authorised or shall be refused. In the case of refusal, the competent authority of the catching flag or trap Member State shall specify the reasons for that refusal. The refusal shall include the consequent release order.5.The farm Member State shall issue the caging authorisation immediately after receipt of the confirmation by the competent authority of the catching flag or trap Member State or CPC concerned. In the absence of that confirmation, the competent authority of the farm Member State shall not authorise the caging operation.6.Caging operations shall not be authorised if the complete set of information required under paragraph 2 does not accompany the fish subject to the caging authorisation.7.Pending the results of the investigation referred to in Article 44 conducted by the competent authority of the catching flag or trap Member State or CPC, the caging operation shall not be authorised and the relevant sections on catch information and trade information for live fish trade of the eBCD shall not be validated.8.If the caging authorisation has not been issued by the competent authority of the farm Member State or CPC within 1 month after the request for a caging authorisation from the farm operator, the competent authority of the farm Member State shall order and proceed to release all the fish contained in the transport cage concerned, in accordance with Annex XII. The competent authority of the farm Member State shall, without delay, inform the competent authority of the catching flag or trap Member State or CPC concerned and the ICCAT Secretariat of the release.’;