Decision directed to Parties

The United States of America and other Parties affected by illegal fishing and trafficking of totoabas are encouraged to: 

a) strengthen information and intelligence gathering regarding individuals within their territory facilitating the transit of illegal totoaba specimen consignments through their territory, their modus operandi to receive, store and export such illegal consignments, and to target their activities through intelligence-driven investigations and operations, including by sharing information with authorities in Mexico and China and other destination countries, as appropriate, in support of follow up investigations across the illegal trade chain; 

b) in their implementation of measures and activities to address totoaba specimen trafficking, consider the risk of commercial seafood shipments transiting their territory being used to conceal and smuggle illegal totoaba swim bladder consignments and to apply strict inspection measures to such shipments originating from and destined to Parties known to be affected by totoaba specimen trafficking, as well as review related national practices to ensure that the measures in place are effective and adapted as may be needed to respond to any newly identified trends; and 

c) report to the 81st meeting of the Standing Committee on the activities conducted and any associated results achieved.