39. To reinforce the concepts and information presented in the Workshop concerning measures to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing and to encourage participants to interpret and apply these concepts, a problem-solving exercise was undertaken. The outline of the exercise is attached as Appendix F.
40. Participants were requested to work in small groups and to decide what initial steps were required to address the IUU fishing problems presented in the exercise. A summary of the findings of the small groups is presented below.
Chief Fisheries Officer
Notify the port State about the IUU fishing infringement and request that the port State detain the vessel pending a joint inspection of the vessel, its catch and documentation;
Inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the IUU fishing incident and the steps that were being taken;
Inform the Oceanic Fisheries Commission about the IUU fishing incident and request if it has any information about the vessel including whether the vessel has prior infringements in the Convention Area and whether it was "blacklisted";
Inform the International MCS Network about the incident and request information relating to any prior IUU fishing activities;
Inform the Government Solicitor about the incident;
Inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the importing country about the IUU fishing incident indicating that the fish is destined for markets in that country;
Prepare a comprehensive brief for the Minister.
Representative from the Government Solicitor
Undertake an assessment of information relating to the IUU fishing incident that is already available;
Determine what legal action can be taken against the vessel under national law and through regional mechanisms;
Advise legal counterparts in the port State of developments with the incident;
Provide input for the Minister’s brief.
Senior MCS Officer
Undertake preparations to travel for the joint inspection of the vessel in the port State;
Undertake an assessment of the value of the catch;
Monitor the movement of the IUU fishing vessel, if this is possible, in a discreet manner;
Ensure that the investigations are kept confidential.
President of the Fishers Association
Pass back information to members about steps being taken by the Government to address the incident but owing to the need for confidentiality, provide no precise details of the investigations to the membership.
Coordinator of the International MCS Network
React to the request regarding information on the vessel and any past offences;
Respond to the request received concerning the vessel.
Director of the Oceanic Fisheries Commission
Advise what steps that members might take in this situation;
Check if there is a record of the IUU fishing vessel in the record of the Oceanic Fisheries Commission and respond appropriately;
Initiate an inquiry with other RFMOs concerning IUU fishing activities in their respective convention areas by the vessel;
Await the outcome of the legal process against the vessel before taking further action (e.g., requesting the Oceanic Fisheries Commission to "blacklist" the vessel);
41. The problem-solving exercise indicated that participants had grasped the essential elements of the IPOA-IUU and the initial actions required to address the IUU fishing problem outlined in the exercise. Participants identified the major issues quickly and worked enthusiastically to map out a course of action. An important outcome of the problem-solving exercise was the realization by participants that regional cooperation was indispensable in combating IUU fishing in such circumstances.
