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THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/975 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Convention Areanote, and in particular Article 43 points (a), (b) and (f) thereof,Whereas:
(1)Pursuant to Council Decision 2012/130/EUnote, the Union is a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean, which established the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (‘the SPRFMO’), since 26 July 2010.
(2)Regulation (EU) 2018/975 lays down management, conservation and control provisions relating to fishing for fishery resources in the SPRFMO Convention Area.
(3)Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/838note amended Regulation (EU) 2018/975 with conservation and management measures adopted by the SPRFMO at its annual meetings between 2018 and 2024.
(4)At its annual meeting in 2026, the SPRFMO amended the time limits for the submission of the annual scientific report and total annual catch reporting. The SPRFMO also changed line weighting standards, vessel data requirements, observer data requirements, and port data requirements.
(5)Those amendments should be transposed into Union law. Regulation (EU) 2018/975 should be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1#
Regulation (EU) 2018/975 is amended as follows:
(1)in Article 7(2), point (b) is replaced by the following:
(b)by 15 June each year, the annual scientific report covering the previous year, including observer data to the maximum extent possible. The Commission shall send that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 30 June.’;
(2)in Article 27, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:‘2.By 15 June each year, Member States whose vessels fish in the SPRFMO Convention Area shall report the live weight for all species / species groups caught during the previous calendar year to the Commission. The Commission shall forward that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 30 June. In exceptional cases, and only where a written notification is submitted to the Commission by 15 June explaining the need for an extension, the Member State may get an extension to submit provisional data by 30 June and final data as soon as possible but not later than 15 September. The Commission shall forward the explanation and provisional data to the SPRFMO Secretariat by 30 June and the final data by 30 September.’;
(3)Annexes I, V, X, XI and XII are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2#
This Regulation shall enter into force on the fourth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Annex I · Line weighting standards
1.For externally weighted systems, vessels shall use a longline weighting regime that achieves a demonstrable minimum longline sink rate of 0,3 metre/second to 15 metre depth for gear. In particular:
(a)external weighted lines in the Spanish system configuration and trot lines shall use a minimum of 8,5 kg mass at intervals of no more than 40 m if rocks are used, 6 kg mass at intervals of no more than 20 m for concrete weights, and 5 kg weights at intervals of no more than 40 m for solid metal weights;
(b)external weighted lines in autoline shall use a minimum 5 kg mass at intervals no more than 40 m, which shall be released from vessels in a manner that avoids tension astern (tension astern may lift sections of the longline already deployed out of the water).
2.For vessels using internally weighted longlines, these shall have a lead core of at least 50 g/m and sink instantly with a linear profile and achieve a sink rate of greater than 0,2 metre/second.
(1)Annex I is replaced by the following:‘’;
(2)Annex V is amended as follows:
(1)in Section 1, point (iv) is replaced by the following:
(iv)IMO number’;
(2)in Section 1, point (xix) is replaced by the following:
(xix)Vessel communication types and numbers (e.g. (INMARSAT A, B and C numbers, TSACOM, VSAT, STARLINK), which must be compatible with those used by the SPRFMO Secretariat’;
(3)Annex X is amended as follows:
(1)in Section A.1, point (g) is replaced by the following:
(g)IMO number’;
(2)in Section B.2, the following points (r) and (s) are added:
(r)Haul back end date and time (the time net is fully onboard) – UTC
(s)Number of doors-up turns during tow’;
(3)in Section K.4, point (b) is replaced by the following:
(b)fishing methods are to be described using the International Standard Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCFG) codes’;
(4)in Section O.1, point (e) is replaced by the following:
(e)IMO number’;
(4)in Annex XI, the title of Section 9 is replaced by the following:
9.Total catch on board’;
(5)in Annex XII, Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7 are replaced by the following:‘4.Evaluation of catch offloaded (during this port call)Species | FAO area of capture | Product state | Declared quantity off loaded (kg) | Quantity off loaded (kg) | Difference between quantity declared and quantity determined, if any| | | | || | | | || | | | |5.Evaluation of catch retained on boardSpecies | FAO area of capture | Product state | Declared quantity held on board (kg) | Quantity held on board (kg) | Difference between quantity declared and quantity determined, if any| | | | || | | | || | | | |6.SPRFMO managed species received from transhipment (during this port call)Species | FAO area of capture | Product state | Declared quantity received (kg) | Quantity received (kg) | Difference between quantity declared and quantity determined, if any| | | | || | | | || | | | |7.Examination and findingsSection: | Comments:Examination of logbooks and other documentation:Compliance with applicable catch documentation scheme(s):Compliance with applicable trade information scheme(s):Type of gear onboard:Gear examined:Findings by inspectors:Apparent infringements (include reference to relevant legal instruments):Vessel master’s comments:Actions taken:Vessel master’s signature:Inspector’s signature:
Annexes I, V, X, XI and XII to Regulation (EU) 2018/975 are amended as follows:
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