What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

Added:(7c) ▌ “bottom line fishing” means fishing using a line to which a hook or hooks (whether baited or not) are attached and which is rigged to sink and fish on or near the seabed including, longlines, hand lines, drop lines, trot lines, and dahn lines;’;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 16 – paragraph 1: 1. By the 15th day of each month, Member States shall report to the Commission, or the body designated by it, catches of bottom fishing species from the preceding month in accordance with Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

Added:(c) point (11) is replaced by the following:

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:‘(11) “exploratory fishery” means a fishery that:

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 16 – paragraph 2: 2. Fishing vessels shall be prohibited from participating in bottom fishing activities if the minimum required data regarding fishing vessel identification set out in Annex V have not been provided.

Added:(a) has not been subject to fishing in the previous 10 years, and where such fishing was limited to targeted fisheries authorised by the SPRFMO Commission on the basis of advice from the SPRFMO Scientific Committee, and the target species was defined as the largest percentage in green weight of the total catch in any given haul, tow or set;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(b) for the purposes of fishing with a particular gear type or technique, has not been subject to fishing by that particular gear type or technique in the previous 10 years, and where such fishing was limited to targeted fisheries authorised by the SPRFMO Commission on the basis of advice from the SPRFMO Scientific Committee, and the target species was defined as the largest percentage in green weight of the total catch in any given haul, tow or set;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 17 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: 1. Member States intending to authorise a fishing vessel flying their flag to fish in an exploratory fishery shall submit to the Commission the following documentation:

Added:(c) has been undertaken as an exploratory fishery in the previous 10 years and a decision has not yet been taken by the SPRFMO Commission to either close or manage the fishery as an established fishery;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(d) constitutes bottom fishing activities in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 12(2); or

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point a: (a) no later than 130 days in advance of the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting, a succinct description of their intended Fisheries Operation Plan for information purposes, using the template for succinct description of Fisheries Operation Plan15. The Commission shall forward this information to the SPRFMO Secretariat not later than 120 days in advance of the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting. / 15 Available here: https://www.sprfmo.int/fisheries/conservation-and-management-measures/cmm-13-exploratory-fisheries/fisheries-operation-plans

Added:(e) has not been reviewed or subjected to scientific monitoring by the Scientific Committee, and the Scientific Committee has not issued harvest advice for the fishing in question or, if the Scientific Committee has issued such harvest advice, the SPRFMO Commission has not considered it;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:for the purpose of exploratory fisheries, “green weight” is the weight of the whole fish at the time of capture, before any processing, modification, or removal of any part, such as heading, gutting, drying, or freezing;’;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point b – introductory part: (b) no later than 80 days in advance of the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting, a copy of the following documentation:

Added:(d) the following points are added:

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:‘(19) “fishing entity” means any entity referred to in Article 305(1), points (c), (d) and (e), of UNCLOS that has expressed its firm commitment to abide by the terms of the SPRFMO Convention and complies with any conservation and management measures adopted pursuant to it, as provided for in Annex IV to the SPRFMO Convention;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 17 – paragraph 2: 2. The Commission shall forward the request to the SPRFMO Commission, and the Fisheries Operation Plan to the SPRFMO Scientific Committee, no later than 60 days in advance of the SPRFMO Scientific Committee meeting

Added:(20) “SPRFMO register of authorised inspection vessels and authorities of the inspection vessel” means the list of inspection vessels and authorities authorised to conduct boarding and inspection in the SPRFMO Convention Area, as notified by the Commission or EFCA, Contracting Parties and CNCPs, which is maintained by the SPRFMO Secretariat;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(21) “authorities of the inspection vessel” means the authorities of the Contracting Party under whose flag the inspection vessel is flying;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 17 – paragraph 3: 3. The Commission shall inform the Member State concerned of the SPRFMO decision regarding the authorisation to fish in an exploratory fishery. The Member State shall issue the authorisation to the fishing vessel flying its flag to fish in an exploratory fishery in accordance with the adopted Fisheries Operation Plan.

Added:(22) “authorised inspection vessel” means any vessel included in the SPRFMO register of authorised inspection vessels and authorities of the inspection vessel;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(23) “authorised inspector” means an inspector trained and designated by the authorities responsible for boarding and inspection included in the SPRFMO register of authorised inspection vessels and authorities of the inspection vessel;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: 1. Fishing vessels intending to transit the SPRFMO Convention Area with gillnets on board shall:

Added:(24) “abandoned fishing gear” means fishing gear deliberately left at sea by the vessel due to force majeure or other unforeseen reasons;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(25) “lost fishing gear” means fishing gear over which the vessel has accidentally lost control and which cannot be located and/or retrieved;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point a: (a) give at least 72 hours advance notice to the flag Member State, including the expected location, dates and times of entry and exit as well as the length of gillnet carried on board. The flag Member State shall without delay inform the SPRFMO Secretariat and the Commission, or the body designated by it, prior to the vessel entering the SPRFMO Convention Area;

Added:(26) “discarded fishing gear” means fishing gear released at sea without any attempt by the vessel to further control or recover it;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(27) “plastic” means a solid material which contains as an essential ingredient one or more high molecular mass polymers, and which is formed (shaped) during either manufacture of the polymer or the fabrication into a finished product by heat and/or pressure.’;

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point b: (b) ensure operational VMS, and reporting at least once every hour while in the SPRFMO Convention Area;

Added:(2) Article 7 is amended as follows:

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(a) the following paragraphs are inserted:

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point c: deleted

Added:‘1a. The Commission shall notify Member States when total catches have reached 70 % of the limit agreed by the SPRFMO Commission for the stock throughout the range of its distribution.

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:1b. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, following the notification referred to in paragraph 1a, Member States shall implement 15-day reporting periods. For this purpose, the calendar month shall be divided into two reporting periods, with the first period running from day 1 to day 15, and the second period from day 16 to the end of the month.

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new): (ca) report the date, time, position, and length (in metres) of gillnets accidentally lost or abandoned to the flag Member State as soon as possible and in any event within 48 hours of the gear being lost or abandoned; the flag Member State shall transmit the information to the SPRFMO Secretariat, the Commission, or the body designated by it without delay.

Added:1c. For the first 15-day report to be submitted, Member States shall report their catches to the Commission within 15 days of the end of the first period. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 20 days of the end of that period. For the subsequent 15-day periods, the Member States shall ▌ report their catches to the Commission within 5 days of the end of each period. The Commission shall transmit that information to the SPRFMO Secretariat within 10 days of the end of each period.’;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(3) the following article is inserted in Chapter I of Title III:

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point d: deleted

Added:‘Article 11a Bottom fishing management areas

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:1. Bottom fishing in the SPRFMO Convention Area under this Chapter shall take place only in the bottom trawl, mid-water trawl, and bottom line fishing management areas set out in Annex XIV. In those areas:

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 – point e: deleted

Added:(a) bottom trawl fishing shall ▌ only take place in a bottom trawl fishing management area;

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Added:(b) mid-water trawl fishing shall ▌ only take place in a mid-water trawl fishing management area or a bottom trawl fishing management area; and

Removed:Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 21 – paragraph 1 a (new): 1a. Member States of fishing vessels flying their flag and transiting in the SPRFMO Convention Area with gillnets on board shall ensure that their FMC automatically forwards the VMS reports referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), to the SPRFMO Secretariat at least once every hour.

Added:(c) bottom line fishing shall ▌ only take place in a bottom line fishing management area.

Removed:Regulation (EU) 2018/975