The IMCS Network welcomes the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) as a member! At their 7th Commission meeting in Sapporo, Japan in March this year, NPFC considered and agreed to join the Network. NPFC joins the Network’s growing community that now includes 85 national, regional and international organizations and agencies. NPFC brings the number of RFMO members to five. This includes the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources (CCAMLR), the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO).
The IMCS Network has established two RFMO specific networks, the Pan-Pacific Fisheries Compliance Network (PPFCN) and the Tuna Compliance Network (TCN). The PPFCN, that includes NPFC, was established in 2020 to promote communication and cooperation between the RFMOs that have overlapping waters or interests in the Pacific Ocean region. The TCN was established in 2017 to promote communication and cooperation between the tuna RFMOs. Combined, the PPFCN and TCN bring together nine RFMOs responsible for a significant portion of global fish landings and provide an invaluable forum for communication, cooperation and information sharing for those responsible for MCS and compliance in the RFMOs.
“As the Network continues to grow and expand, we are pleased to increase our engagement with RFMOs across the globe. The Network welcomes the opportunity to strengthen our engagement with NPFC and to explore matters of mutual interest. We are also grateful for NPFC’s engagement with the PPFCN and their offer to host the meeting of the TCN in June this year”.
Gary Orr, Chair, IMCS NetworkÂ
“We welcome the decision of the Commission to join the Network and look forward to strengthening our relationship with Network members, observers and partners. We are also pleased to be a part of the PPFCN and appreciate the opportunities to discuss relevant issues and approaches with other RFMO secretariats”.
Judy Dwyer, Compliance Manager, NPFC
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The Convention on the Conservation and Management of the High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean came into force in July 2015 and seeks to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fisheries resources in the Convention Area while protecting the marine ecosystems of the North Pacific Ocean in which these resources occur. NPFC is one of the newest RFMOs globally and currently has nine Members and one Cooperating Non-Contracting Party. NPFC recently appointed a new Executive Secretary, Dr Robert Day and a new Compliance Manager, Ms. Judy Dwyer. NPFC manages small pelagic and bottom fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean. Although a relatively new RFMO, NPFC has established a regional VMS with mandatory one hour reporting for all vessels operating in the NPFC Convention Area, and a high sea boarding and inspection program. At its 7th Commission meeting, NPFC demonstrated its commitment to the protection of the marine ecosystem by adopting conservation and management measures to address marine pollution and incidental catch of sharks. The Secretariat is currently working on the development of an electronic application for transshipment reporting expected to be launched in July 2023.
NPFC will join us at the 7th GFETW in Halifax, Nova Scotia, later this year and joins a growing list of participants from the global MCS, compliance and enforcement community. If you would like any information about joining the Network or the 7th GFETW, please contact us!
If you would like to learn more about NPFC, please go to the NPFC website.