Protocol On The Conservation Rational Utilization And Management Of Norwegian Spring Spawning Herring (Atlanto-Scandian Herring) In The Northeast Atlantic

Filename: 1996-ConservationManagementAtlanto-ScandianHerringTheNortheastAtlantic.EN.txt

Protocol on the Conservation, Rational Utilization and Management of Norwegian Spring Spawning Herring (Atlanto-Scandian Herring) in the Northeast Atlantic

Source: http://www.intfish.net/treaties/herring96.htm, downloaded on 20060515

The Parties to this Protocol,

Desiring to promote conservation, rational utilization and management of Norwegian spring spawning herring (Atlanto-Scandian herring) and to provide for long-term sustainable exploitation of the stock,

Have agreed as follows:

1.1 The Parties shall cooperate in the conservation, rational utilization and management of Norwegian spring spawning herring (Atlanto-Scandian herring) in the Northeast Atlantic taking into account the best scientific advice available.

1.2 The Parties shall establish such measures as will ensure that the spawning stock will be maintained above safe biological limits, where sufficient recruitment is ensured to allow for long-term sustainable exploitation.

2.1 For the year 1996 the Parties shall restrict their fishing on the herring stock to a maximum limit of 1,1077,000 tonnes on the basis of the following quotas:

The Faroe Islands and Iceland 256,000 tonnes

Norway 695,000 tonnes

The Russian Federation 166,000 tonnes

The Russian Federation shall transfer 5,000 tonnes to Norway. The Norwegian Party shall provide the possibility for Russian vessels to take a specific amount of the Russian quota in the Fishery zone around Jan Mayen by bilateral agreement. 5,000 tonnes of the Russian quota is set aside for the Russian Exclusive economic zone. Norway and the Russian Federation will reserve these 10,000 tonnes for conservation purposes.

2.2 Arrangements for access and other conditions for fishing in the respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction of the Pates are regulated by bilateral arrangements.

3.1 The Parties shall exchange catch reports on a monthly basis, broken down by ICES sub-area and/or zones of fisheries jurisdiction and areas beyond fisheries jurisdiction of the Parties.

3.2 The Parties shall initiate work to establish harmonised conservation measures in relation to the fishery on the stock.

3.3 The Parties shall facilitate and further cooperation in the field of inspection and control to ensure compliance with conservation measures.

4.1 The Parties shall seek to obtain agreement with other relevant parties to bring about a comprehensive management of the stock.

4.2 The Parties shall cooperate to deter in conformity with their international rights and obligations the activities, of vessels flying the flag of other States which undermine the effectiveness of conservation and management measures agreed by the Parties.

4.3 The Parties shall cooperate to achieve regulation of the fisheries on the stock in areas beyond fisheries jurisdiction through the Northern Atlantic Fisheries Commission in conformity with the provisions laid down in the Agreement of 4 December 1995 for the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly Migratory fish stocks.

5. The Parties shall cooperate to enhance scientific research relating to the stock.

6.1 The Parties shall set up a scientific working group to monitor and assess the development and distribution of the stock according to agreed biological criteria. The working group shall cooperate with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

6.2 The Parties shall use the results of the scientific working group as the basis for future negotiations on the conservation, rational utilization and management of the stock, including possible adjustments of the total allowable catch (TAC) and allocations between the Parties in so far as the distribution of the stock justifies changes in existing arrangements. Any revision shall take due account of the distribution of all components of the stock.

7. This Protocol, in particular the arrangements on quotas for the year 1996, is without prejudice to any future agreement between the Parties.

8. This Protocol shall, be applied provisionally from the date of signature and enter into force when all Parties have notified each other of the completion of their necessary procedures.

Done at Oslo on 6 May 1996 in four originals in English. The Parties shall agree on official texts of this Protocol in Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian and Russian.