Compliance

The NPFC has a Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) to address compliance matters.  The key functions of TCC include:

(a) monitor and review compliance with conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission and make recommendations to the Commission as may be necessary; and

(b) review the implementation of cooperative measures for monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement adopted by the Commission and make recommendations to the Commission as may be necessary.

Further, in carrying out its functions, TCC shall comply with the tasking noted in Article 11 of the NPFC Convention, namely:

(a) provide a forum for exchange of information concerning the means by which members of the Commission are implementing the conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission in the Convention Area and complementary measures in adjacent waters as appropriate;

(b) provide a forum for the exchange of information on enforcement, including enforcement efforts, strategies and plans;

(c) receive reports from each member of the Commission relating to measures that the member has taken to monitor, investigate and penalize violations of provisions of this Convention and measures adopted pursuant to this Convention;

(d) report to the Commission its findings or conclusions on the extent of compliance with conservation and management measures;

(e) make recommendations to the Commission on matters relating to monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement;

(f) develop rules and procedures governing the use of data and other information for monitoring, control and surveillance purposes; and

(g) consider and/or investigate any other matters as may be referred to it by the Commission.

The NPFC Compliance Programme has many components which make up the regional monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement toolbox including:  

1. The central pillar of the compliance programme is the detailed list of authorized fishing vessels, including all support vessels whether chartered or owned by the Member.  
2. The second pillar for the implementation of sustainable management practices in the NPFC Convention Area are the rules and regulations that govern the activities of all fishing vessels operating in this area that are fishing for the species under the management mandate of the Commission. These rules are the active Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs) and thus the monitoring of compliance with these CMMs is a key task of the Compliance component of the Commission.  
3. Finally, is the action that can be taken by Members in the case of infractions or non-compliance with the CMMs by vessels flagged to members or vessels of non-Members.  These serious offenders are reviewed by the Commission Members and if the infraction is found to be 'serious', the vessels are then placed on a list of Illegal, Unreporting or Unregulated (IUU) vessels and this list is shared with other RFMOs for their consideration and action as their rules may dictate.

This section provides the links to the NPFC Vessel Register, the Non-Member Carrier Vessel Register, the active CMMs, the Compliance Work Plan and the Collaboration Site for the Small Working Groups, and the current IUU Vessel List of the NPFC, Vessel Statistics and the High Seas Boarding and Inspection information page.

The work of the TCC is carried out through two small working groups (SWGs) to move priority compliance issues forward intersessionally.  These include:

1. SWG on Planning and Development (PD); and

4. SWG on Operations (Ops).

These SWGs report on their activities annually at the TCC meeting.