Observer coverage. The AIDCP mandates 100% coverage by observers of fishing trips by purse seiners of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (t) in the Agreement Area. In 2009, the Ecuadorian program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and the Colombian, European Union, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, and Venezuelan programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips by these fleets, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets. During 2009, observers from the On-Board Observer Program departed on 731 fishing trips (Table 1), which included 12 trips by vessels of less than 363 tons capacity required to carry observers during clo- sure periods, as stipulated in item 4 of IATTC Resolution C-09-01. In addition, 65 vessels whose last trip of 2008 carried over into 2009 had observers aboard, bringing the total to 796 trips observed in 2009 by the Program. The Program covered vessels operating under the jurisdictions of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Spain, the United States, Vanuatu, and Venezuela. In 2009 the Program sampled 100% of trips by large purse-seine vessels, as required by the AIDCP, and the IATTC program sampled 60% of all trips.
Observer coverage. The AIDCP mandates 100% coverage by observers of fishing trips by purse seiners of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (t) (IATTC Class 6) in the Agreement Area. In 2005, the Ecuadoran program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and Colombian, the European Union, Mexican, and Venezuelan programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. However, the program of the European Union was inactive from early 2005 until February 2006. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips by these five fleets, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets, except as noted below. During 2005, observers from the On-Board Observer Program departed on 808 fishing trips (Table 1). In addition, 53 vessels whose last trip of 2004 carried over into 2005 had observers aboard, bringing the total to 861 trips observed in 2005 by the Program. Five Panamanian-flag vessels each began a trip under the flag of Venezuela, and those trips were sampled by the PNOV. The Program covered vessels operating under the jurisdictions of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, the United States, Vanuatu, and Venezuela. In 2005 the Program sampled 100% of trips by vessels covered by the AIDCP, and the IATTC program sampled 68% of all trips.
Observer coverage. The AIDCP mandates 100% coverage by observers of fishing trips by purse seiners of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (t) in the Agreement Area. In 2011, the Ecuadorian program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and the Colombian, European Union, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, and Venezuelan programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips by these five fleets, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets. During 2011, observers from the On-Board Observer Program departed on 746 fishing trips (Table 1), which included 8 trips by vessels of less than 363 tons capacity required to carry observers during closure periods. This does not include 22 observed trips that fished outside the Agreement Area. The Program covered vessels operating under the jurisdictions of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hondu- ras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, the United States, Vanuatu, and Venezuela. In 2011 the Program sampled 100% of trips by large purse-seine vessels, as required by the AIDCP, and the IATTC program sampled 60% of all trips.
Observer coverage. The AIDCP requires that observers are placed aboard 100% of trips in the Agreement Area by purse-seine vessels of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (Class 6). However, the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020 have made necessary several adaptations and deviations from the typical implementation of this observer coverage requirement. The Chairs of the AIDCP Meeting of the Parties and of the IATTC, through circular memorandum ref. 0150-420 dated 30 March 2020, after contacting and consulting with a number of the Parties and convinced that priority must be given to the right to food security and the need to continue ensuring the provision of food to the people, made a number of recommendations aiming at exempting any vessel for which it is impossible to place an observer on board in compliance with the applicable IATTC and AIDCP rules from its corresponding obligations. After extensive consultations with the Parties, these recommendations were developed and formalized in a document entitled COVID-19 Pandemic Exemption Procedure for the Operation of On-Board Observers, which was circulated through memorandum ref. 0170-420 dated 14 April 2020 (Annex 1). This exemption procedure was extended several times during 2020, 2021 and 2022. The last approved extension on the matter, as requested by the IATTC and the AIDCP chairs extended these provisions through 31 December 2022. The application of the above stated exceptional procedure had an adverse effect on the level of sampling cover- age under the AIDCP. Under normal circumstances, consistent with the provisions of the AIDCP, national ob- server programs would have covered a specific percentage of the trips made by the various fleets. Normally, the Ecuadorian national program would have a goal of placing observers aboard 33% of the trips by Ecuadorian vessels while the Colombian, European Union, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, and Venezuelan national programs each would have a goal of placing observers aboard 50% of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program would have covered the remainder of the trips by vessels of these seven fleets, plus 100% of the trips by vessels of other fleets, which represented a total of 56.9% of all trips. As shown in Table 1, during 2022, observers completed 791 (97.2%) of the 814 fishing trips made in the Agreement Area by Class-6 vessels operating under the flags of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, European Union (Spain), Me...
Observer coverage. The AIDCP mandates 100% coverage by observers of fishing trips by purse seiners of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (T) (IATTC Class 6) in the Agreement Area. In 2002 the Ecuadorean program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and the Mexican and Venezuelan programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips by the fleets of those three countries, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets, except as noted below. During 2002, observers from the On-Board Observer Program departed on 755 fishing trips (Table 1). In addition, 68 vessels whose last trip of 2001 carried over into 2002 had observers aboard, bringing the total to 823 trips observed in 2002 by the Program. The Program covered vessels operating under the jurisdictions of Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Spain, the United States, Vanuatu, and Venezuela. Five of these trips, one which began in 2001 and carried over into 2002, were made by a vessel flying the flag of a non-Party to the AIDCP. The Program sample d 99.3% of trips by vessels covered by the AIDCP, and the IATTC program sampled over 68% of all trips. One vessel that should have participated in the Program made 6 trips without an observer (1 trip under unknown flag and 5 trips under Bolivian flag) as vessel management refused to participate, despite several communications from the Bolivian government that the vessel’s capacity requires it to do so. There was some doubt about whether one vessel which is close to the size required by the AIDCP to carry an observer should have carried an observer. In the event, the flag government determined that the vessel was of less than 363 T carrying capacity and was not required to carry an observer.
Observer coverage. The AIDCP requires that observers are placed aboard 100% of trips in the Agreement Area by purse-seine vessels of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (Class 6). However, the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020 have made necessary several adaptations and deviations from the typical implementation of this observer coverage requirement. The Chairs of the AIDCP Meeting of the Parties and of the IATTC, through circular memorandum ref. 0150-420 dated 30 March 2020, after contacting and consulting with a number of the Parties and convinced that priority must be given to the right to food security and the need to continue ensuring the provision of food to the people, made a number of recommendations aiming at exempting any vessel for which it is impossible to place an observer on board in compliance with the applicable IATTC and AIDCP rules from its corresponding obligations.
Observer coverage. In 2016 the Program placed observers aboard 99% of the trips by purse-seine vessels of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (Class 6) in the Agreement Area, as required by the AIDCP. Three trips by Class-6 vessels operated in the Agreement Area without the required AIDCP observer (see minutes of the 61st meeting of the IRP). In 2016, the Ecuadorian national program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and the Colombian, European Union, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, and Venezuelan national programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips of vessels from these seven fleets, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets, for a total of 60% of all observed trips. During 2016, AIDCP observers departed on 880 fishing trips made in the Agreement Area by vessels op- erating under the flags of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, European Union (Spain), Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, the United States, and Venezuela (Table 1). WCPFC observers covered 12 trips by Class-6 vessels; of the rest, 26 trips were by vessels of 363 t or less: 3 by Class-5 vessels (273-363 t carrying capacity) and 19 by Class-4 vessels (182-272 t carrying capacity), under the exemption in Resolution C- 13-01 that allows these vessels to fish for one trip during the closure if accompanied by an AIDCP observer. Also, at the request of the pertinent national authority, observers accompanied four trips by Class-5 vessels that did not fish for tunas, but that are included in the IATTC Regional Register as tuna purse seiners. In addition to the above, in 2016 Ecuador started a voluntary observer program for tuna purse-seine vessels smaller than Class-6, using AIDCP observers, procedures, and protocols. The information collected from the 19 trips covered, 10 by Class-4 vessels and 9 by Class-5 vessels, was provided to the IATTC staff and incorporated into the IATTC observer database.
Observer coverage. The AIDCP mandates 100% coverage by observers of fishing trips by purse seiners of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (t) (IATTC Class 6) in the Agreement Area. In 2004 the Ecuadorean program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and the European Union, Mexican, and Venezuelan programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips by these four fleets, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets, except as noted below. During 2004, observers from the On-Board Observer Program departed on 760 fishing trips (Table 1). In addition, 74 vessels whose last trip of 2003 carried over into 2004 had observers aboard, bringing the total to 834 trips observed in 2004 by the Program. The Program covered vessels operating under the jurisdictions of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, the United States, Vanuatu, and Venezuela. In 2004 the Program sampled 100% of trips by vessels covered by the AIDCP, and the IATTC program sampled 70% of all trips.
Observer coverage. 4. Each CPC shall ensure the following with respect to its domestic observer programs:
Observer coverage. The AIDCP mandates 100% coverage by observers of fishing trips by purse seiners of carrying capacity greater than 363 metric tons (t) (IATTC Class 6) in the Agreement Area. In 2003 the Ecuadorean program had a goal of sampling approximately one-third of the trips by its fleet, and the European Union, Mexican, and Venezuelan programs each had a goal of sampling approximately half of the trips by their respective fleets. The IATTC program covered the remainder of the trips by these four fleets, plus all trips by vessels of other fleets, except as noted below. During 2003, observers from the On-Board Observer Program departed on 875 fishing trips (Table 1). In addition, 32 vessels whose last trip of 2002 carried over into 2003 had observers aboard, bringing the total to 907 trips observed in 2003 by the Program. The Program covered vessels operating under the jurisdictions of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain, the United States, Vanuatu, and Venezuela. The Program sampled 99.3% of trips by vessels covered by the AIDCP, and the IATTC program sampled 68% of all trips. One vessel that should have participated in the Program during 2 trips under Bolivian flag refused to participate despite several communications in 2002 from the Bolivian government that the vessel's capacity requires it to do so. The vessel also made 4 trips without an observer during the year under Belize flag The vessel changed flag to Panama later in the year and began participating in the Program, making 4 trips with an observer.
