ICCAT Recommendation 8-12

08-12

SDP
RECOMMENDATION BY ICCAT AMENDING
RECOMMENDATION 07-10 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;
RECOGNIZING the necessity to clarify and improve the implementation of the bluefin tuna catch
documentation scheme, providing detailed instructions for the completion and the validation of the bluefin tuna
catch document,
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.

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.
e)

“flag State” means the State where the fishing vessel is flagged; “trap State” means the State where the
trap is established; and “farm State” means the State where the farm is established.

1

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 9(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
completed and validated 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 catching vessels and traps authorized to fish bluefin tuna in the
Convention area, including as by-catch. Such forms are not transferable. Each BCD form shall have a
unique document identification number. Document numbers shall be specific to the flag or trap State and
assigned to the catching vessel or trap.

6.

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 Recommendation.

PART II VALIDATION OF BCDs
7.

The catching vessel master or trap operator, or its authorized representative, or the operator of farms, or the
authorized representative of the flag, farm, or trap State, shall complete the BCD by providing the required
information in appropriate sections and request validation in accordance with paragraph 9 for a BCD for
catch landed, transferred to cages, harvested, transhipped, domestically traded or exported on each occasion
that it lands, transfers, harvests, tranships, domestically trades or exports bluefin tuna.

8.

A validated BCD shall include, as appropriate, the information identified in Annex 1 attached. A BCD
format is attached as Annex 2. In cases where a section of the BCD format does not provide enough room to
completely track movement of BFT from catch to market, the needed information section of the BCD may
be expanded as necessary and attached as an annex using the original BCD format and number. The
authorized representative of the CPC shall validate the annex as soon as possible but not later than the next
movement of BFT.

9.

a)

The BCD must be validated by an authorized government official, or other authorized individual or
institution, of the flag State of the catching vessel, the State of the seller/exporter, or the trap or farm
State that caught, harvested, domestically traded or exported the bluefin tuna. If the catching vessel is
operating under a charter arrangement, the BCD must be validated by an authorized governmental
official or institution of the chartering entity’s CPC.

b) The 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 catching vessels or traps,
and when those products comply with other relevant ICCAT provisions of the conservation and
management measures.
c)

Validation under 9(a) shall not be required in the event that all bluefin tuna available for sale are tagged
by the flag State of the catching vessel or the trap State that fished the bluefin tuna.
2

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
10. 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 bluefin tuna is
imported live, the BFTRC shall not apply.
11. 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.
12. The BFTRC shall be validated by an authorized government official or authority.
13. 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.
14. The validated BFTRC shall include the information identified in Annex 3 and Annex 4 attached.
PART IV VERIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION
15. Each CPC shall communicate a copy of all validated BCDs or BFTRCs, except in cases where paragraph
9(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:
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.
16. The ICCAT Secretariat shall extract from the validated BCDs or BFTRCs communicated under paragraph
15 above the information marked with an asterisk (*) in Annex 1 or Annex 3 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
17. CPCs may require their catching 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
18. 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, domestically traded in, imported into or exported or
re-exported from its territory and request and examine the validated BCD(s) and related documentation of
3

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 with the operators concerned.
19. If, as a result of examinations or verifications carried out pursuant to paragraph 18 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.
20. 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.
21. Pending the examinations or verifications under paragraph 18 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.
22. Where a CPC, as a result of examination or verifications under paragraph 18 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.
23. 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.
PART VII NOTIFICATION AND COMMUNICATION
24. Each CPC that validates BCDs in respect of its flag catching vessels, traps or farms in accordance with
paragraph 9(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 nongovernmental individuals or institutions. Updated details on validating authorities and national provisions
shall be communicated to the ICCAT Secretariat in a timely fashion.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. Copies of validated BCDs and notification pursuant to paragraphs 24, 25 and 26 shall be sent by CPCs to
the ICCAT Secretariat, by electronic means, whenever possible.
28. 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.
29. Copies of BCDs shall follow each part of split shipments or processed product, using the unique document
number of the BCD to link them.
30. CPCs shall keep copies of documents issued or received for at least two years.
4

31. 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 5.
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.
32. The Recommendation by ICCAT on an ICCAT Bluefin Tuna Catch Document Program [Rec. 07-10] is
repealed and replaced by this Recommendation.

5

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*1
Tag No. (if applicable)
Government validation
Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date
3. Trade Information for live fish trade
Product description
Exporter/Seller information
Transportation description
Government validation
Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date
Importer/buyer
4. Transfer information
Towing vessel description
Vessel name, flag
ICCAT Record No. and towing cage number (if applicable)
5. Transshipment 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

1

Weight shall be reported by round weight where available. If round weight is not used, specify the type of product (e.g., GG) in the “Total
Weight” and “Average Weight” section of the form.

6

6. 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)
Government validation
Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date

7. Harvest from Farms information
Harvest description
Date of harvest*
Number of fish, total (round) weight, and average weight*
Tag numbers (if applicable)
Government validation
Name of authority and signatory, title, address, signature, seal and date

8. Trade information
Product description
(F/FR; RD/GG/DR/FL/OT)2
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 date3

2
3

When different types of products are recorded in this section, the weight shall be recorded by each product type.
DATE to be filled by IMPORTER/BUYER in this section is the date of signature.

7

Annex 2
Bluefin Tuna Catch Document Form
1. ICCAT BLUE FIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENT (BCD)

N° CC-YY-XXXXXX

1/2

2. CATCH INFORMATION
VESSEL/TRAP
FLAG

NAME :
CATCH DESCRIPTION
DATE (ddmmyy)
No. of FISH
TAGS No.
(if applicable)
GOVERNMENT VALIDATION
NAME OF AUTHORITY

ICCAT RECORD No.
ATEC
GEAR

AREA
TOTAL WEIGHT (kg)

AVERAGE WEIGHT (kg)

ICCAT RECORD N° of Joint Fishing Operation (if applicable)

SEAL

TITLE
SIGNATURE
DATE
3. TRADE INFORMATION
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
LIVE WEIGHT (kg)
EXPORTER/SELLER
PT EXPORT/ DEPARTURE

No.of FISH

ZONE

COMPANY

ADDRESS

STATE

FARM OF DESTINATION

ICCAT FFB No.

SIGNATURE
DATE
TRANSPORTATION DESCRIPTION (Relevant documentation to be attached)
GOVERNMENT VALIDATION
NAME OF AUTHORITY
TITLE

SEAL

SIGNATURE
DATE
IMPORTER/BUYER
PT IMPORT / DESTINATION
(city, country, State)

COMPANY
ADDRESS
SIGNATURE
DATE OF
SIGNATURE
ANNEX(ES): YES / NO (circle one)
4. TRANSFER INFORMATION
TOWING VESSEL DESCRIPTION
ICCAT TRANSFER DECLARATION N°
NAME

ICCAT RECORD No.

FLAG

No. of FISH DEAD DURING TRANSFER

TOTAL WEIGHT OF DEAD FISH (kg)

TOWING CAGE DESCRIPTION
CAGE N°
ANNEX(ES): YES / NO (circle one)
5. TRANSHIPMENT INFORMATION
CARRIER VESSEL DESCRIPTION
ICCAT RECORD No.
FLAG
NAME
DATE(ddmmyy)
PORT NAME
PORT STATE
POSITION (LAT/LONG)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (Indicate net weight in kg for each type of product)
TOTAL
OT(kg)
RD (kg)
FL (kg)
WT F
GG (kg)
DR (kg)
F
(kg)
TOTAL
OT(kg)
GG (kg)
DR (kg)
FL (kg)
FR RD (kg)
WT FR
GOVERNMENT VALIDATION
NAME OF AUTHORITY
SEAL
TITLE
SIGNATURE
DATE
ANNEX(ES): YES / NO (circle one)

8

ICCAT BLUE FIN TUNA CATCH DOCUMENT (BCD)
N° CC-YY-XXXXXX
6. FARMING INFORMATION
FARMING
NAME
ICCAT FFB N°
STATE
FACILITY
NATIONAL SAMPLING PROGRAM?
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
Yes or No (circle one)
CAGE DESCRPTION DATE(ddmmyy)
CAGE No.
FISH DESCRIPTION No. of FISH
AVERAGE WEIGHT (kg)
TOTAL WEIGHT (kg)
OBSERVER
INFORMATION

NAM
E

SIGNATURE

TITLE

SIZE COMPOSITION

2/2

< 8kg

8-30 kg

GOVERNMENT VALIDATION
NAME OF AUTHORITY
TITLE

> 30 kg
SEAL

SIGNATURE
DATE
ANNEX(ES): YES / NO (circle one)
7. HARVESTING INFORMATION
HARVESTING DESCRIPTION
DATE (ddmmyy)
No. of FISH

TOTAL ROUND WEIGHT (kg)

TAGS No. (if applicable)

AVERAGE WEIGHT (kg)

GOVERNMENT VALIDATION
NAME OF AUTHORITY

SEAL

TITLE
SIGNATURE
DATE
8. TRADE INFORMATION
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (Indicate net weight in kg for each type of product)
RD (kg)

GG (kg)

DR (kg)

FL (kg)

OT(kg)

FR RD (kg)

GG (kg)

DR (kg)

FL (kg)

OT(kg)

F

EXPORTER/SELLER
PT EXPORT / DEPARTURE

TOTAL
WT F
TOTAL
WT FR

ADDRESS

COMPANY

STATE OF DESTINATION
SIGNATURE
DATE
TRANSPORTATION DESCRIPTION (Relevant documentation to be attached)
GOVERNMENT VALIDATION
NAME OF AUTHORITY
TITLE
SIGNATURE
DATE
IMPORTER/BUYER
PT IMPORT / DESTINATION (city,
country, State)

COMPANY
ADDRESS
DATE

SIGNATURE

ANNEX(ES): YES / NO (circle one)

9

SEAL

Annex 3
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/OT1
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*1
Net weight (kg)*
Corresponding BCD number(s) from section 3
State of destination
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.

1

When different types of products are recorded in this section, the weight shall be recorded by each product type.

10

Annex 5
Report on the Implementation of the ICCAT Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Programme

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

2.

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.

Information on cases under Part VI paragraph 18.
–

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 18 above.

12