Decision directed to Parties

Mexico is requested to: 

a) fully achieve all milestones of targets in the Compliance Action Plan no later than the 81st meeting of the Standing Committee; 

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”), or any new or revised version of “the Agreement”; 

c) continue implementation of measures to effectively prevent fishers from using gillnets in the Vaquita Refuge Area (VRA) and vessels from entering the Zero-Tolerance Area (Zo) and to maintain these areas completely gillnet-free, including by: 

i) ensuring surveillance on a full-time basis drawing upon all systems at its disposal; 

ii) implementing and maintaining a strict zero-tolerance policy concerning unauthorized fishing and fishing gear in these areas 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; 

iii) deploying authorities with legal powers of seizure and arrest, together with the Navy, to effectively prevent, disrupt and put an end to the illegal fishing activities; and 

iv) maintaining resources to ensure uninterrupted gillnet removal throughout the designated areas in the Upper Gulf of California and to take all necessary measures to destroy confiscated nets; 

d) scale up activities in support of selective fishing gear development and use, including by implementing dedicated programmes in this regard, in consultation with stakeholders to ensure inclusivity and acceptance; 

e) maintain strict control over the activities of vessels to which fishing permits with alternative gear were granted to ensure that only the alternative gear is used as authorized by the permits and that strict action is taken when any irregularities are detected; 

f) continue delivering activities through awareness and sensitization programmes in pursuit of behaviour change regarding the use of alternative fishing gear that does not pose a threat to the vaquita and to deter illegal activities; 

g) take urgent measures to address illegal totoaba fishing displaced elsewhere due to strengthened measures deployed at the Zo and VRA; 

h) further strengthen intelligence gathering and analyses of information and data to map out the criminal groups in Mexico involved in illegal fishing and totoaba specimen trafficking, and to address them through intelligence-driven enforcement operations; 

i) take into account updated information regarding the documented distribution of the vaquita to analyse and consider adjusting the boundaries of the Zo and VRA and ensure that enforcement efforts to prevent illegal fishing are fully implemented in these designated areas; and 

j) submit a report on the implementation of Decision 20.54 to the Secretariat 90 days in advance of the 81st meeting of the Standing Committee, for it to be made available to the Committee for consideration.