Proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus and amending Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003
Date: 2009-08-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU programme, access to information, authorised catch, conservation of fish stocks, data processing, fishery management, fishing controls, fishing regulations, sea fish

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 3.8.2009 
COM(2009) 406 final 

2009/0116 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus and 
amending Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

As  part  of  the  measures  to  regulate  fisheries  of  bluefin  tuna,  improve  the  quality  and 
reliability of statistical data and prevent, deter and eliminate illegal fishing, the International 
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) adopted at its annual meeting in 
Marrakesh  (Morocco),  on  24  November  2008,  Recommendation  No  08-12  amending 
Recommendation  No  07-10  on  a  bluefin  tuna  catch  documentation  programme.  This 
Recommendation entered into force on 17 June 2009. 

The  Bluefin  tuna  catch  documentation  programme  adopted  by  ICCAT  is  mainly  concerned 
with  the  impact  of  illegal,  unreported  and  unregulated  fishing  in  the  area.  Consequently,  it 
reflects  the  need  for  improved  and  stricter  control  on  all  the  stages  involved  in  the  bluefin 
tuna  fisheries  and  for  the  adoption  of  measures  intended  to  support  the  implementation  of 
conservation  and  management  rules  as  well  as  scientific  research  on  bluefin  tuna.  The 
documentation programme recognises the state of bluefin tuna stocks, the impact that market 
factors have on the fisheries and takes into account the recovery plan for eastern Atlantic and 
Mediterranean bluefin tuna (Recommendation 08-05) that ICCAT adopted in 2008, including 
the need for complementary market related measures. 

However, the scope of the ICCAT Recommendation 08-12 is very wide and, in order to have 
effective control of the movement of bluefin tuna, strict tracking of the product from the point 
of capture through the whole operational chain to its final point of marketing is vital. In this 
regard,  verification  and  cooperation  between  Member  States  and  Contracting  Parties  to 
ICCAT  involved  in  the  trade  of  bluefin  tuna  constitute  very  important  provisions  of  the 
ICCAT Bluefin tuna catch documentation programme. 

The current ICCAT bluefin tuna statistical programme, which only covers import and export, 
was not designed to provide a mechanism to offer direct control on bluefin tuna fisheries. In 
order  to  ensure  that  the  provisions  in  the  ICCAT  bluefin  tuna  catch  documentation 
programme  are  more  easily  interpreted  and  applied  uniformly,  the  relevant  provisions  of 
Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade in 
bluefin  tuna,  swordfish  and  bigeye  tuna  within  the  Community  should  be  repealed  and 
replaced by this Regulation. 

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2009/0116 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

of  

establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus and 
amending Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 
37 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament2, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

The  Community  is  a  contracting  party  to  the  United  Nations  Convention  of 
10 December  1982  on  the  Law  of  the  Sea  approved  by  Decision  98/392/EC3,  the 
Agreement on the implementation of the provisions of that Convention relating to the 
conservation  and  management  of  straddling  stocks  and  highly  migratory  fish  stocks 
ratified  by  Decision  98/414/EC4  and  the  Agreement  to  promote  compliance  with 
international  conservation  and  management  measures  by  fishing  vessels  on  the  high 
seas accepted by Decision 96/428/EC5. In that framework of international obligations, 
the  Community  participates  in  efforts  made  to  ensure  sustainable  management  of 
highly migratory fish stocks. 

The Community has been a contracting party to the International Convention for the 
Conservation  of  Atlantic  Tunas  pursuant  to  Decision  86/238/EEC6.  This  Convention 
provides  for  a  framework  for  regional  cooperation  on  the  conservation  and 
management  of  tuna  and  tuna-like  species  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  adjacent  seas 
through  an  International  Commission  for  the  Conservation  of  Atlantic  Tunas 
(ICCAT),  and  for  the  adoption  of  recommendations  in  the  Convention  area  which 
become  binding  on  the  contracting  parties  and  non-contracting  cooperating  parties 
(CPCs). 

(3) 

The ICCAT Recommendations 1992-01, 1993-03, 1996-10, 1997-04, 1998-12, 03-19 
and 06-15 and the resolutions 1993-02, 1994-04 and 1994-05 on a statistical document 
programme for bluefin tuna have been implemented by Council Regulation (EC) No 

1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 

OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ L 179, 23.6.1998, p. 1. 
OJ L 189, 3.7.1998, p. 14. 
OJ L 177, 16.7.1996, p. 24. 
OJ L 162, 18.6.1986, p. 33. 

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(4) 

(5) 

1984/2003 of 8 April 2003 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade 
in bluefin tuna, swordfish and bigeye tuna within the Community7. 

As  part  of  the  measures  to  regulate  stocks  of  bluefin  tuna,  improve  the  quality  and 
reliability of statistical data and in order to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal fishing, 
the  ICCAT  has  adopted  at  its  annual  meeting  in  Marrakesh  (Morocco),  on  24 
November 2008, the Recommendation 08-12 amending Recommendation 07-10 on an 
ICCAT  bluefin  tuna  catch  documentation  programme.  Since  this  Recommendation 
will enter into force on 17 June 2009, it needs to be implemented by the Community. 

In order to ensure that the provisions on an ICCAT bluefin tuna catch documentation 
programme  are  easily  readable  and  applied  uniformly,  the  relevant  provisions  of 
Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 related to ICCAT bluefin tuna statistical document and 
re-export certificate should be deleted. 

(6) 

Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 should, therefore, be amended accordingly, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 

Article 1 
Subject matter and scope 

This  Regulation  establishes  a  Community  bluefin  tuna  catch  documentation  programme  in 
order  to  support  the  implementation  of  conservation  and  management  measures  adopted  by 
the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). 

Article 2 
Definitions 

For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: 

(a) 

"Bluefin  tuna":  means  fish  of  the  species  Thunnus  thynnus  falling  within  the 
codes listed in Annex I; 

(b) 

"Domestic trade" means 

(i) 

(ii) 

trade  of  bluefin  tuna  caught  in  the  ICCAT  Convention  area  by  a 
Community catching vessel or trap, which is landed in the territory of the 
Member  State  where  the  catching  vessel  is  flagged  or  where  the  trap  is 
established, and 

trade of farmed bluefin tuna originating from bluefin tuna caught in the 
ICCAT  Convention  area  by  a  Community  catching  vessel  which  is 
flagged to the same Member State where the farm is established, where 
the bluefin tuna is then supplied to any entity in that Member State, and 

(iii) 

trade  between  Member  States  of  bluefin  tuna  caught  in  the  ICCAT 
Convention area by Community catching vessels flagged in one Member 
State or by a trap established in one Member State. 

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OJ L 295, 13.11.2003, p. 1. 

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(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

"Export": means any movement to a third country of bluefin tuna caught in the 
ICCAT  Convention  area  by  a  Community  catching  vessel  or  trap,  including 
from  the  territory  of  the  Community,  from  third  countries  or  from  fishing 
grounds; 

"Import": means the introduction into the territory of the Community, including 
for caging, fattening, farming or transhipment purposes, of bluefin tuna caught 
in the ICCAT Convention area by a third country catching vessel or trap; 

"Re-export":  means  any  movement  from  the  territory  of  the  Community  of 
bluefin  tuna  which  had  been  previously  imported  into  the  territory  of  the 
Community; 

"Convention area": means the area determined by International Convention for 
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas approved by Decision 86/238/EEC; 

"Flag  Member  State"  means  the  Member  State  where  the  catching  vessel  is 
flagged; 

(h) 

"Trap Member State" means the Member State where the trap is established; 

(i) 

(j) 

"Farm Member State" means the Member State where the farm is established; 

"CPCs" means contracting parties, cooperating non-contracting Parties, entities 
and fishing entities. 

CHAPTER II 
BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENT 

Article 3 
General provisions 

1. 

2. 

Member  States  shall  require  a  completed  bluefin  tuna  catch  document  (hereinafter 
referred to as "catch document") for each bluefin tuna landed at its ports, delivered 
to, and harvested from its farms. 

Each consignment of bluefin tuna domestically traded, imported into or exported or 
re-exported from the territory of the Community shall be accompanied by a validated 
catch  document,  except  in  cases  where  Article  4  paragraph  3  applies  and,  as 
applicable,  an  ICCAT  transfer  declaration  or  a  validated  bluefin  tuna  re-export 
certificate (referred to as "re-export certificate"). 

Any  such  landing,  transfer,  delivery,  harvest,  domestic  trade,  import,  export  or  re-
export  of  bluefin  tuna  without  a  completed  and  validated  catch  document  or  a  re-
export certificate shall be prohibited. 

3. 

Member States shall not place bluefin tuna: 

(a) 

(b) 

into  a  farm  not  authorised  by  the  Member  State  or  contracting  parties, 
cooperating non-contracting Parties, entities and fishing entities (CPCs) or not 
listed  in  the  ICCAT  record  of  farming  facilities  authorised  to  operate  for 
farming of bluefin tuna caught in the ICCAT Convention area, 

from  different  years  or  Member  States  or  CPCs  in  the  same  cages  unless 
effective  measures  are  in  place  to  determine  the  Member  State  or  CPC  of 
origin and catch year. 

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4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Member States shall provide catch document forms only to their catching vessels and 
traps  authorised  to  fish  bluefin  tuna  in  the  Convention  area,  including  as  by-catch. 
Such forms shall not be transferable. 

Each  catch  document  form  shall  have  a  unique  document  identification  number. 
Document numbers shall be specific to the flag or trap Member State and assigned to 
each catching vessel or trap. 

Copies  of  catch  documents  shall  follow  each  part  of  split  shipments  or  processed 
product, using the unique document number of the original catch document in order 
to track them. 

Domestic  trade,  export,  import  and  re-export  of  fish  parts  other  than  the  meat  (i.e. 
heads,  eyes,  roes,  guts  and  tails)  shall  be  exempted  from  the  requirements  of  this 
Regulation. 

Article 4 
Validation 

Catching  vessel  masters,  trap  operators,  farm  operators,  sellers,  exporters,  or  their 
authorised  representatives,  shall  complete  a  catch  document  by  providing  the 
required information in appropriate sections and request its validation in accordance 
with  paragraph  2  on  each  occasion  that  they  land,  transfer,  harvest,  tranship, 
domestically trade or export bluefin tuna. 

The catch document shall be validated by a competent authority of the flag, trap or 
farm Member State or the Member State where the seller or exporter is established. 
Member States shall validate the catch document for all bluefin tuna only where: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

a  catching  vessel  flies  the  flag  of  the  Member  State  or  a  trap  or  farm  is 
established  in  the  Member  State  that  harvested  the  bluefin  tuna,  or  when  the 
catching  vessel  is  operating  under  a  charter  arrangement,  by  a  competent 
authority or institution of the chartering Member State or CPC, 

all the information contained in the catch document has been established to be 
accurate as a result of the verification of the consignment, 

the accumulated amounts to be validated are within their quotas or catch limits 
of  each  management  year,  including,  where  appropriate,  individual  quotas 
allocated to catching vessels or traps, and 

(d) 

the  bluefin  tuna  complies  with  the  relevant  provisions  of  the  ICCAT 
conservation and management measures. 

Validation  under  paragraph  2(a)  shall  not  be  required  in  the  event  that  all  bluefin 
tuna  available  for  sale  are  tagged,  as  referred  to  in  Article  5,  by  the  flag  or  trap 
Member State that fished the bluefin tuna. 

Where the bluefin tuna quantities caught and landed are less than 1 ton or three fish, 
the logbook or the sales note may be used as a temporary catch document, pending 
the validation of the catch document within seven days and prior to domestic trade or 
export. 

A validated catch document shall include, as appropriate, the information set out in 
Annex II. 

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6. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

A catch document model is set out in Annex III. In cases where a section of the catch 
document  model  does  not  provide  enough  room  to  completely  track  movement  of 
bluefin tuna from catch to trade, the needed information section may be expanded as 
necessary and attached as annex. The competent authority of the Member State shall 
validate  the  annex  as  soon  as  possible,  but  not  later  than  the  next  movement  of 
bluefin tuna. 

Article 5 
Tagging 

Member  States  may  require  their  catching  vessels  or  traps  to  affix  a  tag  to  each 
bluefin tuna, preferably at the time of kill, but not later than at the time of landing. 
Tags shall have unique Member State specific numbers and be tamper-proof. The tag 
numbers shall be linked to the catch document. 

A  summary  of  implementation  of  the  tagging  programme  shall  be  submitted  to  the 
Commission by the concerned Member States. 

The  use  of  tags  shall  only  be  authorised  when  the  accumulated  catch  amounts  are 
within  their  quotas  or  catch  limits  of  each  management  year,  including,  where 
appropriate, individual quotas allocated to vessels or traps. 

CHAPTER III 
BLUEFIN TUNA RE-EXPORT CERTIFICATE 

Article 6 
General provisions 

Member States shall ensure that each bluefin tuna consignment which is re-exported 
from their territory be accompanied by a validated re-export certificate. 

In cases where farmed bluefin tuna is imported live, the re-export certificate shall not 
apply. 

The  operator  who  is  responsible  for  the  re-export  shall  complete  the  re-export 
certificate  by  providing  the  required  information  in  its  appropriate  sections  and 
request  its  validation  for  the  bluefin  tuna  consignment  to  be  re-exported.  The 
completed re-export certificate shall be accompanied by a copy of the validated catch 
document(s) relating to the bluefin tuna previously imported. 

Article 7 
Re-export validation 

The re-export certificate shall be validated by the competent authority of the Member 
State. 

The  competent  authority  shall  validate  the  re-export  certificate  for  all  bluefin  tuna 
product only when: 

(a) 

all the information contained in the re-export certificate has been established to 
be accurate, 

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(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

the validated catch document(s) submitted in support to the re-export certificate 
had been accepted for the importation of the products declared on the re-export 
certificate, 

the products to be re-exported are wholly or partly the same products appearing 
on the validated catch document(s), and 

a  copy  of  the  catch  document(s)  is  attached  to  the  validated  re-export 
certificate. 

3. 

The validated re-export certificate shall include the information set out in Annex III. 

CHAPTER IV 
COMMUNICATION AND VERIFICATION 

Article 8 
Communication and conservation of validated documents 

Member  States  shall  communicate  a  copy  of  all  validated  catch  documents  or  re-
export certificates, except in cases where Article 4(3) applies, as soon as possible and 
in  any  case  within  five  working  days  following  the  date  of  validation,  or  without 
delay  where  the  expected  duration  of  the  transportation  should  not  take  more  than 
five working days, to the following: 

(a) 

(b) 

the Commission, 

the competent authorities of the Member State or CPC where the bluefin tuna 
will be domestically traded, or farmed or imported, and 

(c) 

the ICCAT Secretariat. 

Copies of validated catch documents or re-export certificates referred to in paragraph 
1, shall be sent by electronic means, as soon as possible. 

Member  States  shall  keep  copies  of  the  validated  catch  documents  and  re-export 
certificates issued or received for at least two years. 

Article 9 
Verification 

that 

their  competent  authorities 

Member  States  shall  ensure 
identify  each 
consignment  of  bluefin  tuna  landed  in,  domestically  traded  in,  imported  into  or 
exported  or  re-exported  from  its  territory.  The  competent  authorities  shall  request 
and  examine  the  validated  catch  document(s)  and  related  documentation  of  each 
consignment  of  bluefin  tuna.  The  examination  shall  include  the  consultation  of  the 
database on validation held by the ICCAT Secretariat. 

The competent authorities may also examine the content of the consignment to verify 
the  information  contained  in  the  catch  document  and  in  related  documents  and, 
where necessary, shall carry out verifications with the operators concerned. 

If,  as  a  result  of  examinations  or  verifications  carried  out  pursuant  to  paragraphs  1 
and  2,  a  doubt  arises  regarding  the  information  contained  in  a  catch  document, 
Member  States  shall  cooperate  with  the  competent  authorities  who  validated  the 
catch document(s) or re-export certificate(s) to resolve such doubts. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

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4. 

5. 

6. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

If a  Member  State identifies a consignment  with  no  catch  document,  it  shall  notify 
the  findings  to  the  delivering  Member  State,  or  the  exporting  CPC  and,  where 
known, the flag Member State or the flag CPC. 

Pending the examinations or verifications under paragraphs 1 and 2, Member States 
shall not grant its release for domestic trade, import or export, nor, in the case of live 
bluefin tuna destined to farms, accept the transfer declaration. 

Where  a  Member  State,  as  a  result  of  examination  or  verifications  pursuant  to 
paragraph 1 and in cooperation with the validating authorities concerned, determines 
that a catch document or re-export certificate is invalid, the domestic trade, import, 
export or re-export of the bluefin tuna concerned shall be prohibited. 

CHAPTER V 
TRANSMISSION OF DATA 

Article 10 
Information concerning validation and points of contact 

Member  States  shall  notify  to  the  Commission  their  authorities  responsible  for 
validating and verifying catch documents or re-export certificates, in particular name 
and full address and, where appropriate, name and title of the validating officials who 
are individually empowered, sample form of document, sample impression of stamp 
or seal, and, as appropriate, tag samples. 

The  notification  shall  indicate  the  date  at  which  this  entitlement  comes  into  force. 
Updated details on validating authorities shall be communicated to the Commission 
in a timely fashion. 

Member  States  shall  notify  to  the  Commission  the  points  of  contact  that  should  be 
notified when there are questions related to catch documents or re-export certificates, 
and in particular, their name. 

4. 

The Commission shall forward promptly this information to the ICCAT Secretariat. 

Article 11 
Programme annual report 

1. 

2. 

Member  States  shall  provide  to  the  Commission  by  electronic  means  a  programme 
report, each year by 15 September, covering the period from July 1 of the preceding 
year to June 30 of the current year including the information set out in Annex V. 

The  Commission  shall  establish  the  Community  annual  programme  report  and 
communicate it to the ICCAT Secretariat each year by 1 October. 

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CHAPTER VII 
FINAL PROVISIONS 

Article 12 
Amendment of Annexes 

The  Annexes  may  be  amended  by  the  Commission  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  laid 
down in Article 13. 

The  amendments  shall  concern  the  conservation  measures  adopted  by  ICCAT  in  which  the 
Community is a contracting party. 

Article 13 
Committee procedure 

1. 

2. 

3. 

The  Commission  shall  be  assisted  by  the  Committee  set  up  under  Article  30  of 
Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002. 

Where  reference  is  made  to  this  paragraph,  Articles  4  and  7  of  Decision 
1999/468/EC shall apply. 

The  period  laid  down  in  Article  4(3)  of  Decision  1999/468/EC  shall  be  set  at  one 
month. 

Article 14 
Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 

1. 

Regulation (EC) No 1984/2003 is amended as follows: 

(a) 

in the title, the words "bluefin tuna" are deleted; 

(b)  in Article 1(a), the words "bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)" are deleted; 

(c) 

in Article 2, the words "bluefin tuna" are deleted; 

(d)  in Article 3, point (a) is deleted; 

(e) 

in Article 4(1), the first indent is deleted; 

(f) 

in Article 4(2)(b)(iii), the words "bluefin tuna" are deleted; 

(g)  in Article 5(1), the first indent is deleted; 

(h)  in Article 6(1) second paragraph, point (a) is deleted; 

(i) 

in Article 8(a), the words "bluefin tuna" are deleted; 

(j) 

in Article 9(2), point (a) is deleted; 

(k)  Annexes I, IVa, IX and XV are deleted. 

2. 

References  to  the  deleted  provisions  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  1984/2003  shall  be 
construed as references to this Regulation. 

Article 15 
Entry into force and application 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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PRODUCTS  REFERRED  TO  IN  ARTICLE 
2(a)Goods Description 

Code of the Combined Nomenclature8

ANNEX I 

Live Bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus) 

Bluefin Tunas (Thunnus thynnus), fresh or chilled 
excluding fillets and other meat 

Bluefin Tunas (Thunnus thynnus), fresh or chilled 
excluding fillets and other meat other than for the 
industrial  manufacture  of  prepared  or  preserved 
fish 

Whole  Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus),  frozen, 
excluding  fillets  and  other  meat  for  the  industrial 
manufacture of prepared or preserved fish 

Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus),  frozen,  gilled 
and gutted excluding fillets and other meat for the 
industrial  manufacture  of  prepared  or  preserved 
fish 

Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus),  frozen,  other 
than  whole  or  gilled  and  gutted  excluding  fillets 
and  other  meat  for  the  industrial  manufacture  of 
prepared or preserved fish 

tunas 

(Thunnus 

Bluefin 
frozen, 
excluding fillets and other meat other than for the 
industrial  manufacture  of  prepared  or  preserved 
fish 

thynnus), 

Fillets of Bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus) fresh or 
chilled 

Meat  other  than  fillets  of  Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus 
thynnus) fresh or chilled 

Fillets  and  other  meat  of  Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus 
thynnus) frozen 

Other meat of Bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus) 

0301 94 00

0302 35 10

0302 35 90

0303 45 11

0303 45 13

0303 45 19

0303 45 90

ex 0304 19 39

ex 0304 19 39

ex 0304 29 45

8 

Annex 1 to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 of 23 July 1987 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (OJ L 256, 

7.9.1987,  p.  1–675)  as  last  amended  by  Commission  Regulation  (EC)  No  332/2009  of  23  April  2009  amending  Annex  I  to  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No 

2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Customs Tariff (OJ L 104, 24.4.2009, p. 3) 

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Flours,  meals  and  pellets  of  Bluefin 
(Thunnus thynnus) 

tunas 

Livers  and  roes  of  Bluefin 
thynnus), dried, smoked, salted or in brine 

tunas  (Thunnus 

Fillets  of  Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus),  dried, 
salted or in brine but not smoked 

Smoked  Bluefin 
including fillets 

tunas 

(Thunnus 

thynnus) 

Dried Bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus) whether or 
not salted but not smoked 

Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus)  salted  but  not 
dried or smoked and in brine 

Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus)  whole  or  in 
pieces  but  not  minced,  prepared  or  preserved  in 
vegetable oil 

Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus)  whole  or  in 
pieces but not minced, prepared or preserved other 
than in vegetable oil fillets known as loins 

Bluefin  tunas  (Thunnus  thynnus)  whole  or  in 
pieces but not minced, prepared or preserved other 
than  in  vegetable  oil  and  other  than  fillets  known 
as loins 

Bluefin tunas (Thunnus thynnus) other than whole 
or in pieces but not minced, prepared or preserved  

ex 0304 99 99

ex 0305 10 00 

ex 0305 20 00

ex 0305 30 90

ex 0305 49 80

ex 0305 59 80

ex 0305 69 80

ex 1604 14 11

ex 1604 14 16

ex 1604 14 18

ex 1604 20 70

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DATA TO BE INCLUDED IN BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENT 

ANNEX II 

1. 

2. 

ICCAT Bluefin tuna catch document number 

Catch Information 

Vessel or trap description 

Catching vessel or trap name 

Flag or trap State 

ICCAT Record No of vessels or traps (if applicable) 

Catch description 

Date, area of catch and gear used 

Number of fish, total round weight, and average weight 

Tag No. (if applicable) 

ICCAT Record No of joint fishing operations (if applicable) 

Government validation 

Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date 

3. 

Trade Information for live fish 

Product description 

Total live weight, number of fish, area of catch 

Exporter/seller information 

Point of export or departure (if offshore, specify the fishery zone where bluefin tuna 
were caught) 

Export company name, address, signature and date 

Farm (name and ICCAT No) and State of destination 

Description of transportation (relevant documentation to be attached) 

Importer/buyer information 

Point of import or destination 

Import company name, address, signature and date of signature 

Government validation 

Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date 

4. 

Transfer information 

Towing vessel description 

ICCAT transfer declaration No 

Vessel name, flag 

ICCAT Record No. and towing cage number (if applicable) 

Number of fishes dead during transfer, total weight 

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5. 

Transhipment information 

Carrier vessel description 

Name 

Flag State 

ICCAT Record No. 

Date 

Port (name and country or position) 

Product description 

(F/FR; RD/GG/DR/FL/OT) 

Total weight (NET) 

Government validation 

Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date 

6. 

Farming information 

Farming facility description 

Name, Farm Member State 

ICCAT FFB No. and location of farm 

Participation in national sampling program (yes or no) 

Cage description 

Date of caging, cage number 

Fish description 

Estimates of number of fish, total weight, and average weight 

Observer information 

Name, title, signature 

Government validation 

Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date 

7. 

Harvest from farms information 

Harvesting description 

Date of harvest 

Number of fish, total (round) weight, and average weight 

Tag numbers (if applicable) 

Estimated size composition (<8 kg, 8-30 kg, >30 kg) 

Government validation 

Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date 

8. 

Trade information 

Product description 

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F/FR;  RD/GG/DR/FL/OT  (when  different  type  of  products  are  recorded  in  this 
section, the weight shall be recorded by each product type) 

Total weight (NET) 

Exporter/Seller information 

Point of export or departure 

Export company name, address, signature and date 

State of destination 

Description of transportation (relevant documentation to be attached) 

Government validation 

Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date 

Importer/buyer information 

Point of import or destination 

Import company name, address, signature and date of signature 

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ANNEX III 

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DATA TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ICCAT BLUEFIN TUNA RE-EXPORT 
CERTIFICATE 

ANNEX IV 

1. 

2. 

Document number of the re-export certificate 

Re-export section 

Re-exporting Member State 

Point of re-export* 

3. 

Description of imported bluefin tuna 

Product type F/FR RD/GG/DR/FL/OT 

Net weight (kg) 

Catch document number(s) and date(s) of importation 

Flag(s) of fishing vessel(s) or state of establishment of the trap, where appropriate 

4. 

Description of bluefin tuna to be re-exported 

Product type F/FR RD/GG/DR/FL/OT 

Net weight (kg) 

Corresponding catch document number(s) from section 3 

5. 

Statement of re-exporter 

Name 

Address 

Signature 

Date 

6. 

Validation by authorities 

Name and address of the authority 

Name and position of the official 

Signature 

Date 

Government seal 

7. 

Import section 

Statement by the importer in the Member State or CPC of import of the bluefin tuna 

consignment 

Name and address of the importer 

Name and signature of the importer’s representative and date 

Point of import: City and CPC 

Note – Copies of the catch document(s) and Transport document(s) shall be attached 

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REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ICCAT BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH 
DOCUMENTATION PROGRAMME 

ANNEX V 

Reporting Member State: 

Period of reference: July 1 [2XXX] to June 30 [2XXX] 

1. 

Information extracted from catch documents 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

number of catch documents validated, 

number of validated catch documents received, 

total  amount  of  bluefin  tuna  traded  domestically,  with  breakdown  by  fishing 
areas and fishing gears, 

total  amount  of  bluefin  tuna  imported,  exported,  transferred  to  farms,  re-
exported  with  breakdown  by  CPC  of  origin,  re-export  or  destination,  fishing 
areas and fishing gears, 

number of verifications of catch documents requested to other Member States 
or CPCs and summary results, 

number  of  requests  for  verifications  of  catch  documents  received  from  other 
Member States or CPCs and summary results, 

total  amount  of  bluefin  tuna  consignments  subject  to  a  prohibition  decision 
with  breakdown  by  products,  nature  of  operation  (domestic  trade,  import, 
export,  re-export,  transfer  to  farms),  reasons  for  prohibition  and  Member 
States, CPCs and/or non-Contracting Parties of origin or destination. 

2. 

Information on consignments under Article 9(1) 

– 

– 

number of consignments, 

total amount of bluefin tuna with breakdown by products, nature of operation 
(domestic  trade,  import,  export,  re-export,  transfer  to  farms),  Member  States, 
CPCs or other countries referred to in Article 9(1). 

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