Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2006Show full title

Part E Eastern Pacific Ocean and Western and Central Pacific Ocean

21. Tuna and albacore in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Member States shall ensure that the total fishing effort for bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna and south pacific albacore in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean is limited to the fishing effort provided for in fisheries partnership agreements between the Community and coastal States in the region.

22. Special measures for the Eastern, Western and Central Pacific Ocean

In the Eastern, Western and Central Pacific Ocean purse seine vessels shall promptly release unharmed, to the extent practicable, all sea turtles, sharks, billfishes, rays, dorado, and other non-target species. Fishermen shall be encouraged to develop and use techniques and equipment to facilitate the rapid and safe release of any such animals.

23. Specific measures applying to encircled or entangled sea turtles

In the Eastern, Western and Central Pacific Ocean the following specific measures shall apply:

(a)

whenever a sea turtle is sighted in the net, all reasonable efforts shall be made to rescue the turtle before it becomes entangled in the net, including, if necessary, the deployment of a speedboat;

(b)

if a turtle is entangled in the net, net roll should stop as soon as the turtle comes out of the water and should not start again until the turtle has been disentangled and released;

(c)

if a turtle is brought on board a vessel, all appropriate methods to assist in the recovery of the turtle should be made before returning it to the water;

(d)

tuna-fishing vessels shall be prohibited from disposing of salt bags or any other type of plastic rubbish at sea;

(e)

the release, when practicable, of sea turtles entangled in Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and other fishing gear is encouraged;

(f)

the recovery of FADs which are not being used in the fishery is also encouraged.