Bluefin Tuna Catch Document and Re-export Certificate pa

07-10

SDP
RECOMMENDATION BY ICCAT ON AN ICCAT
BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENTATION PROGRAM

RECOGNIZING the situation of Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks and the impact that market factors have on the
fishery;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the rebuilding plan for western Atlantic bluefin tuna and the recovery plan for
eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna that ICCAT has adopted, including the need for complementary
market related measures;
CONCERNED by the impact that illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing has in the Convention
area;
AWARE that the current Bluefin Tuna Statistical Document Programme was not designed to provide a
mechanism to provide direct control on bluefin tuna fisheries;
REITERATING the responsibilities of flag States to ensure that their vessels conduct their fishing activities
in a responsible manner, fully respecting ICCAT conservation and management measures;
NOTING the need for improved and strict control on all the components involved in the bluefin tuna
fisheries;
MINDFUL of the rights and obligations of port States to promote the effectiveness of management measures
adopted by regional fisheries management organizations;
UNDERLINING the complementary role that importing States also have in the control of the catches of
bluefin tuna to ensure compliance with ICCAT conservation and management measures;
RECOGNIZING that in order to have effective control of the movement of bluefin tuna, strict tracking of the
product from the point of capture throughout the whole operation to its final market has to be established;
COMMITTED to taking steps that conform with international law, notably as regards the World Trade
Organization (WTO), and to ensure that bluefin tuna entering markets of Contracting and Cooperating nonContracting Parties, Entities or Fishing Entities of ICCAT and non-members of ICCAT is caught in the
Convention area in a manner that does not diminish the effectiveness of ICCAT conservation and management
measures;
UNDERLINING that the adoption of this measure is intended to help support the implementation of
conservation and management measures as well as scientific research for bluefin tuna and is being applied on an
exceptional basis;

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE CONSERVATION
OF ATLANTIC TUNAS (ICCAT) RECOMMENDS THAT:
PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. Each Contracting Party, Cooperating non-Contracting Party, Entity and Fishing Entity (hereafter referred to
as CPCs) shall take the necessary steps to implement an ICCAT Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Scheme
for the purpose of identifying the origin of any bluefin tuna in order to support the implementation of
conservation and management measures.

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2.

For the purpose of this Programme:
a)

"Domestic trade" means:
– trade of bluefin tuna harvested in the ICCAT Convention area by a vessel or trap, which is landed in
the territory of the CPC where the vessel is flagged or where the trap is established, and
– trade of farmed bluefin tuna products originating from bluefin tuna harvested in the ICCAT
Convention area by a vessel which is flagged to the same CPC where the farm is established, which
is supplied to any entity in this CPC, and
– trade between the Member States of the European Community of bluefin tuna harvested in the
ICCAT Convention area by vessels flagged to one Member State or by a trap established in one
Member State.

b) "Export" means:
Any movement of bluefin tuna in its harvested or processed form (including farmed) from the territory
of the CPC where the fishing vessel is flagged or where the trap or farm is established to the territory of
another CPC or non-Contracting Party, or from the fishing grounds to the territory of a CPC which is
not the flag CPC of the fishing vessel or to the territory of a non-Contracting Party.
c)

"Import" means:
Any introduction of bluefin tuna in its harvested or processed form (including farmed) into the territory
of a CPC, which is not the CPC where the fishing vessel is flagged or where the trap or the farm is
established.

d) "Re-export" means:
Any movement of bluefin tuna in its harvested or processed form (including farmed) from the territory
of a CPC where it has been previously imported.
3.

CPCs shall require a completed bluefin tuna catch document (BCD) for each bluefin tuna:
a) Landed at its ports,
b) Delivered to its farms, and
c) Harvested from its farms.
Each consignment of bluefin tuna domestically traded, imported into or exported or re-exported from its
territories shall be accompanied by a validated BCD, except in cases where paragraph 8(c) applies and, as
applicable, an ICCAT transfer declaration or a validated Bluefin Tuna Re-export Certificate (BFTRC). Any
such landing, transfer, delivery, harvest, domestic trade, import, export or re-export of bluefin tuna without a
BCD or a BFTRC shall be prohibited.

4.

In order to support an effective BCD, CPCs shall:
a) not place bluefin tuna into a farm not authorized by the CPC or listed in the ICCAT record,
b) not place bluefin tuna from different years or CPCs in the same cages unless effective measures are in
place to determine the CPC of origin and catch year when the bluefin tuna are ultimately harvested from
the farm.

5.

Each CPC shall provide BCD forms only to vessels and traps authorized to harvest bluefin tuna in the
Convention area, including as by-catch, and to authorized farms. Such forms are not transferable. Each BCD
form shall have a unique document identification number. Document numbers shall be specific to the flag
State and assigned to the vessel or trap.

PART II
VALIDATION OF BCDs
6. The fishing vessel master or trap operator, or its authorized representative, or the operator of farms, or the
authorized representative of the flag State shall complete the BCD by providing the required information in
appropriate sections and request validation in accordance with paragraph 8 for a BCD for catch landed,

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transferred to cages, harvested or transshipped on each occasion that it lands, transfers, harvests or transships
bluefin tuna.
7.

A validated BCD shall include the information identified in Annex 1 attached.

8.

a) The BCD must be validated by an authorized government official, or other authorized individual or
institution, of the flag State of the vessel or the State of establishment of the trap or farm that harvested
the bluefin tuna, or if the vessel is operating under a charter arrangement, by an authorized governmental
official or institution of the chartering CPC.
b) The flag CPCs shall validate the BCD for all bluefin tuna products only when all the information
contained in the BCD has been established to be accurate as a result of the verification of the
consignment, and only when the accumulated validated amounts are within their quotas or catch limits
of each management year, including, where appropriate, individual quotas allocated to vessels or traps,
and when those products comply with other relevant provisions of the conservation and management
measures.
c) Validation under 8(a) shall not be required in the event that all bluefin tuna available for sale are tagged
by the flag State of the harvesting vessel or the State of establishment of the trap that harvested the
bluefin tuna.
d) Where the bluefin tuna quantities caught and landed are less than 1 metric ton or three fish, the logbook
or the sales note may be used as a temporary BCD, pending the validation of the BCD within seven days
and prior to export.

PART III
VALIDATION OF BFTRCs
9. Each CPC shall ensure that each bluefin tuna consignment which is re-exported from its territory be
accompanied by a validated bluefin tuna re-export certificate (BFTRC). In cases where farmed bluefin tuna
is imported live, the BFTRC shall not apply.
10. The operator who is responsible for the re-export shall complete the BFTRC by providing the required
information in its appropriate sections and request its validation for the bluefin tuna consignment to be reexported. The completed BFTRC shall be accompanied by a copy of the validated BCD(s) relating to the
bluefin tuna products previously imported.
11. The BFTRC shall be validated by an authorized government official or authority.
12. The CPC shall validate the BFTRC for all bluefin tuna product only when
a) all the information contained in the BFTRC has been established to be accurate,
b) the validated BCD(s) submitted in support to the BFTRC had been accepted for the importation of the
products declared on the BFTRC and
c) the products to be re-exported are wholly or partly the same products on the validated BCD(s).
d) A copy of the BCD(s) shall be attached to the validated BFTRC.
13. The validated BFTRC shall include the information identified in Annex 2 attached.

PART IV
VERIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION
14. Each CPC shall communicate a copy of all validated BCDs or BFTRCs, except in cases where paragraph 8
c) applies, 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.

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a) the competent authorities of the country where the bluefin tuna will be domestically traded, or
transferred into a cage or imported, and
b) the ICCAT Secretariat.
15. The ICCAT Secretariat shall extract from the validated BCDs or BFTRCs communicated under paragraph
14 above the information marked with an asterisk in Annex 1 or Annex 2 and enter this information in a
database on a password protected section of its website, as soon as practicable.
At its request, the SCRS shall have access to the catch information contained in the database, except the
vessel or trap names.

PART V
TAGGING
16. CPCs may require their harvesting vessels or traps to affix a tag to each bluefin tuna preferably at the time of
kill, but no later than the time of landing. Tags shall have unique country specific numbers and be tamper
proof. The tag numbers shall be linked to the BCD and a summary of the implementation of the tagging
program shall be submitted to the ICCAT Secretariat by the CPC. The use of such tags shall only be
authorized 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.

PART VI
VERIFICATION
17. Each CPC shall ensure that its competent authorities, or other authorized individual or institution, take steps
to identify each consignment of bluefin tuna landed in, imported into or exported or re-exported from its
territory or among member states of a regional economic organization and request and examine the validated
BCD(s) and related documentation of each consignment of bluefin tuna. These competent authorities, or
authorized individuals or institutions, may also examine the content of the consignment to verify the
information contained in the BCD and in related documents and, where necessary, shall carry out
verifications at with the operators concerned.
18. If, as a result of examinations or verifications carried out pursuant to paragraph 17 above, a doubt arises
regarding the information contained in a BCD, the final importing State and the CPC whose competent
authorities validated the BCD(s) or BFTRCs shall cooperate to resolve such doubts.
19. If a CPC involved in trade of bluefin tuna identifies a consignment with no BCD, it shall notify the findings
to the exporting State and, where known, the flag State.
20. Pending the examinations or verifications under paragraph 17 to confirm compliance of the bluefin tuna
consignment with the requirements in the present Recommendation and any other relevant
Recommendations, the CPCs 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.
21. Where a CPC, as a result of examination or verifications under paragraph 17 above and in cooperation with
the validating authorities concerned, determines that a BCD or BFTRC is invalid, the domestic trade, import,
export or re-export of the bluefin tuna concerned shall be prohibited.
22. The Commission shall request the non-Contracting Parties that are involved in domestic trade, import, export
or re-export of bluefin tuna to cooperate with the implementation of the Program and to provide to the
Commission data obtained from such implementation.

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PART VII
NOTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION
23. Each CPC that validates BCDs in respect of its flag vessels, traps or farms in accordance with paragraph
8(a), shall notify the ICCAT Secretariat of the government authorities, or other authorized individuals or
institutions (name and full address of the organization(s) 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) responsible for validating and verifying BCDs or BFTRCs. This
notification shall indicate the date at which this entitlement comes into force. A copy of the provisions
adopted in national law for the purpose of implementing the bluefin tuna catch documentation program shall
be communicated with the initial notification, including procedures to authorize non-governmental
individuals or institutions. Updated details on validating authorities and national provisions shall be
communicated to the ICCAT Secretariat in a timely fashion.
24. The information on validating authorities transmitted by notifications to the ICCAT Secretariat shall be
placed on the password protected page of the database on validation held by the ICCAT Secretariat. The list
of the CPCs having notified their validating authorities and the notified dates of entry into force of the
validation shall be placed on a publicly accessible website held by the ICCAT Secretariat.
CPCs are encouraged to access this information to help verify the validation of BCDs and BFTRCs.
25. Each CPC shall notify to the ICCAT Secretariat the points of contact (name and full address of the
organization(s)) that should be notified when there are questions related to BCDs or BFTRCs.
26. Copies of validated BCDs and notification pursuant to paragraphs 23, 24 and 25 shall be sent by CPCs to the
ICCAT Secretariat, by electronic means, whenever possible.
27. The Commission shall consider the introduction of an electronic system as informed by results reported to
the Commission from the electronic statistical document pilot programs conducted by CPCs in accordance
with Recommendation by ICCAT on an Electronic Statistical Document Pilot Program [Rec. 06-16]. Those
CPCs which implement an electronic system in advance of the Commission shall ensure the electronic
system meets the requirements of this measure and has the ability to produce paper copies upon request of
national authorities from the exporting and importing Parties.
28. Copies of BCDs shall follow each part of split shipments or processed product, using the unique document
number of the BCD to link them.
29. CPCs shall keep copies of documents issued or received for at least two years.
30. CPCs shall provide to the ICCAT Secretariat a report each year by October 1 for the period from July 1 of
the preceding year to June 30 of the current year to provide the information described in Annex 3.
The ICCAT Secretariat shall post these reports on the password protected section of the ICCAT website, as
soon as practicable.
At its request, the SCRS shall have access to the reports received by the ICCAT Secretariat.
31. Recommendations 92-01, 93-03, 96-10, 97-04, 98-12 and 06-15 and the Resolutions 93-02, 94-04, 94-05 on
the ICCAT Bluefin Tuna Statistical Document Programme are repealed and replaced by this
Recommendation.

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Annex 1
Data to be Included in Bluefin Tuna Catch Document (BCD)
1. ICCAT Bluefin tuna catch document number*
2. Catch Information
Vessel or trap name*
Flag State*
ICCAT Record No.
Date, area of catch and gear used*
Number of fish, total weight, and average weight*
Tag No. (if applicable)
3. Transfer information
Towing vessel description
Vessel name, flag
ICCAT Record No., and towing cage number (if applicable)
4. Transshipment information
Carrier vessel description
Flag State
ICCAT Record No.
Date
Port (name and country or position)
Product description
(F/FR; RD/GG/DR/FL/OT)
Total weight (NET)
5. Farming information
Farming facility description
Name, flag of farm*, 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*
Estimated size composition (<8 kg, 8-30 kg, >30 kg)
6. Harvest from Farms information
Harvest description
Date of harvest*
Number of fish, total (round) weight, and average weight*
Tag numbers (if applicable)
7. Trade information
Product description
(F/FR; RD/GG/DR/FL/OT)
Total weight (NET)
Exporter/Seller information
Point of export or departure*
Export company name, address, signature and date
Description of transportation (relevant documentation to be attached)
Importer/buyer information
Point of import or destination*
Import company name, address, signature and date
8. Government validation
Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date

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ICCAT BLUEFIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENT #
CATCH INFORMATION
VESSEL/TRAP
CATCH DESCRIPTION

GOVT VALIDATION

NAME

FLAG

ICCAT RECORD NO

DATE (ddmmyy)

AREA

GEAR

NO. FISH

TOTAL WT (KG)

AVG WT (KG)

TAG NOS. (if applicable)
NAME OF AUTHORITY AND SIGNATORY

TITLE

SIGNATURE

DATE

SEAL

TRANSFER INFORMATION
TOWING VESSEL DESCRIPTION
TOWING CAGE DESCRIPTION

NAME

FLAG

ICCAT RECORD NO.

NUMBER

TRANSSHIPMENT INFORMATION
CARRIER VESSEL DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
GOVT VALIDATION

NAME
DATE

FLAG
ICCAT RECORD NO.
PORT (NAME AND COUNTRY)/ POSITION (LAT/LONG)

F/FR (circle one)

RD/GG/DR/FL/OT (circle one)

NAME OF AUTHORITY AND SIGNATORY
SIGNATURE

NET WT (kg)
TITLE
DATE

SEAL

FARMING INFORMATION
FARMING FACILITY DESCRIPTION

NAME
LOCATION

FLAG

ICCAT FFB NO.

NATIONAL SAMPLING PROGRAM? YES or NO (circle one)
CAGE DESCRIPTION
FISH DESCRIPTION

OBSERVER INFORMATION
GOVT VALIDATION

DATE (ddmmyy)

CAGE NO

NO. OF FISH

TOTAL WT (kg)

SIZE COMPOSITION

<8 kg

AVG WT (kg)
8-30 kg

>30 kg

TITLE
NAME
NAME OF AUTHORITY AND SIGNATORY
SIGNATURE

SIGNATURE
TITLE
DATE
SEAL

DATE (ddmmyy)

TOTAL ROUND WT (kg)

HARVEST FROM FARM INFORMATION
HARVEST DESCRIPTION

NO. FISH

AVG WT (kg)
TAG NOS. (if applicable)
GOVT VALIDATION

NAME OF AUTHORITY AND SIGNATORY
SIGNATURE

TITLE
DATE

SEAL

TRADE INFORMATION
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
EXPORTER/ SELLER

TRANSPORTATION DESCRIPTION
GOVT VALIDATION

IMPORTER/ BUYER

F/FR (circle one)

RD/GG/DR/FL/OT (circle one)

NET WT (kg)

PT OF EXPORT/DEPARTURE

COMPANY

ADDRESS

SIGNATURE

DATE

(RELEVANT INFORMATION TO BE ATTACHED)
NAME OF AUTHORITY AND SIGNATORY
SIGNATURE
PT OF IMPORT/DESTINATION
SIGNATURE

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COMPANY

TITLE
DATE

SEAL

ADDRESS
DATE

Annex 2
Data to be Included in the Bluefin Tuna Re-export Certificate (BFTRC)

1.

Document number of the BFTRC*

2.

Re-export section
Re-exporting CPC/Entity/Fishing Entity
Point of re-export*

3.

Description of imported bluefin tuna
Product type F/FR RD/GG/DR/FL/OT
Net weight (kg)
BCD 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 BCD number(s) from section 3

5.

Statement of re-exporter
Name
Address
Signature
Date

6.

Validation by governmental 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 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 BCD(s) and Transport document(s) shall be attached

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ICCAT BLUEFIN TUNA RE-EXPORT CERTIFICATE

DOCUMENT NUMBER

RE-EXPORT SECTION:
1. RE-EXPORTING COUNTRY/ENTITY/FISHING ENTITY
2. POINT OF RE-EXPORT
3. DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTED BLUEFIN TUNA
Product Type
Net Weight
F/FR RD/GG/DR/FL/OT
(Kg)

Flag CPC

BCD
No.

Date of import

4. DESCRIPTION OF BLUEFIN TUNA FOR RE-EXPORT
Product Type
F/FR RD/GG/DR/FL/OT

Net Weight
(kg)

Corresponding BCD number

F=Fresh, FR=Frozen, RD=Round, GG=Gilled & Gutted, DR=Dressed, FL=Fillet,
OT=Others (Describe the type of product:
)
5. RE-EXPORTER STATEMENT:
I certify that the above information is complete, true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Name

Date

Signature

Address

6. GOVERNMENT VALIDATION:
I validate that the above information is complete, true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Total weight of the shipment:
Name & Title

Signature

Date

Government Seal

IMPORT SECTION
7. IMPORTER STATEMENT:
I certify that the above information is complete, true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Importer Certification
Name

Address

Final Point of Import: City

State/Province

Signature

CPC

Date

.
BFTSD Re-Export Certificate: 2007

NOTE: IF A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IS USED IN COMPLETING THIS FORM, PLEASE ADD THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION ON THIS
DOCUMENT.

* Valid transport document and copies of the BCDs shall be attached.

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kg

Annex 3
Report on the Implementation of the ICCAT Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Programme
Reporting CPC:
Period of reference: July 1 [2XXX] to June 30 [2XXX]
1. Information extracted from BCDs
– number of BCDs validated:
– number of validated BCDs received:
– total amount of bluefin tuna products traded domestically, with breakdown by fishing areas and fishing
gears,
– total amount of bluefin tuna products 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 BCDs requested to other CPCs and summary results:
– number of requests for verifications of BCDs received from other 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 CPCs and/or non-Contracting Parties of origin or destination.
2.

Information on cases under Part VI paragraph 17
– number of cases
– total amount of bluefin tuna with breakdown by products, nature of operation (domestic trade, import,
export, re-export, transfer to farms), CPCS or other countries referred to in Part VI paragraph 17 above.

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