Proposal for a new CMM on Scientific Research Activities

Rev.3: Language for the COM10 Meeting report is provided below.
The Commission decided that:
● Members and CNCPs are encouraged to report to the Scientific Committee, in advance, all scientific research activities in the Convention Area that have a reasonable potential to result in the intentional or unintentional catch, take, or harvest of NPFC fisheries resources, or interaction with benthic habitats and other marine ecosystems related to the objectives of the NPFC Convention;
● Members and CNCPs should report all NPFC fisheries resources caught, taken, and/or harvested through scientific research activities as part of its Annual Report;
● The Commission tasks the Scientific Committee with considering whether templates for research plans or notifications, post-trip reporting and any other information should be adopted to standardize the information flow related to research activities, as well as the scope and mechanisms for review, provision of feedback on, or reporting of members’ scientific research activities and results to the SC, for consideration by the Commission at COM11;
● The Commission tasks the Scientific Committee with sharing summary information on such scientific research activities with the TCC and the TCC with reviewing any MCS and compliance-related implications arising from those activities annually under its agenda item on the “Review of MCS related issues from SC”;
● The Commission supports including on the TCC Workplan a tasking to SWG-PD to consider the MCS and compliance implications of research activities in the Convention Area and consider which NPFC CMM obligations or some subset thereof should apply to research activities, depending on the research activities contemplated, thresholds around the research activities’ respective catch of NPFC fisheries resources, marketing of such catch, and any other relevant compliance-related considerations.
 

Previous Rev:
This working paper proposes a new Conservation and Management Measure to consider scientific research activities separately from commercial fishing activities, clarify related procedures around information sharing and the application of CMMs, and help promote scientific research in the Convention Area while ensuring those activities do not undermine the objectives of the Convention and CMMs.