Decision directed to Others
Mexico is urged to:
a) take immediate actions to further strengthen measures to effectively prevent fishers from using gillnets in the vaquita refuge and vessels from entering the zero-tolerance area and to maintain these areas completely gillnet-free, by implementing a strict zero-tolerance policy concerning unauthorized fishing and fishing gear in these areas, ensuring surveillance on a full time basis, and imposing strict penalties where irregularities are detected, including the seizure of both vessels and unauthorized fishing gear combined with administrative or criminal penalties as applicable;
b) pursue the urgent implementation of all aspects of the Agreement regulating gears, systems, methods, techniques and schedules for the performance of fishing activities with smaller and larger vessels in Mexican Marine Zones in the Northern Gulf of California and establishing landing sites, as well as the use of monitoring systems for such vessels (“the Agreement”), giving priority attention to:
i) deploying appropriate authorities with legal powers of seizure and arrest, together with the Navy, to effectively prevent fishers and vessels from fishing with prohibited gear in the vaquita refuge and from entering the zero tolerance area and taking strict action against fishers that use any sites other than the authorized sites for departure and arrival of vessels established by Article 9 of “the Agreement”, to effectively prevent, disrupt and put an end to the activities of fishers that operate illegally;
ii) effectively implementing the gillnet ban as anticipated by Article 2 of “the Agreement”; and
iii) stepping up efforts to mobilize activities aimed at preventing, detecting and penalizing any manufacturing, possession, selling and transportation of gillnets in the marine area and surrounding areas as determined by “the Agreement”, to ensure the disruption and neutralization of any illegal activities;
c) build upon the progress made in collecting and analysing information on organized crime groups operating within Mexico involved in illegal fishing and trafficking of totoaba, and the insights and information gained from such work about the structure and modus operandi of these groups, to further expand intelligence-driven operations and investigations to address and neutralize them;
d) maintain resources to ensure uninterrupted gillnet removal to maintain the vaquita refuge and zero tolerance areas net-free, and take all necessary measures to protect net removal teams and destroy confiscated nets;
e) scale up activities in support of selective fishing gear development and use, and to consider including such matters related to totoabas and vaquitas in its GEF 8 or other suitable funding sources; and
f) submit a comprehensive report on the implementation of Decision 18.293 (Rev. CoP19), paragraphs a) to e) above, as well as Decision 18.292 (Rev. CoP19), to the Secretariat in a timely manner (at least 60 days in advance of the 77th meeting of the Standing Committee) in time for it to convey this to the Standing Committee at its 77th meeting, together with any recommendations it may have.