18.292 (Rev. CoP19) to 18.295 (Rev. CoP19) & 19.74 to 19.76 Totoabas (Totoaba macdonaldi)

Decision directed to
19.74
Decision directed to:
China, Mexico, and the United States of America
China, Mexico, and the United States of America are requested to jointly submit, through the Chair of the Trilateral Enforcement Contact Group (TECG), a report to the 77th meeting of the Standing Committee on the operationalization of the TECG and the activities conducted in accordance with the TECG terms of reference, as well as associated results achieved.
19.75
Decision directed to:
Parties

Parties are encouraged to:

a) support efforts related to the recovery and monitoring of wild populations of totoaba and vaquita;

b) make every effort to support Mexico in the implementation of Decision 18.293 (Rev. CoP19); and c) support efforts to eliminate supply of and demand for illegally sourced specimens of totoaba to address and prevent their illegal trade.

19.76
Decision directed to:
Transit and destination countries
Transit and destination countries are encouraged to report on implementation of Decision 18.292 (Rev. CoP19) and 19.75 to the 77th meeting of the Standing Committee.
18.292 (Rev. CoP19)
Decision directed to:
Parties in collaboration with relevant stakeholders

Parties affected by illegal fishing and trafficking of totoabas, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, are encouraged to:

a) fully implement the measures and activities outlined in the online Meeting of Range, Transit and Consumer States of Totoaba agreed outcomes document, as relevant to them, to prevent and combat this illegal trade;

b) draw upon the secure law enforcement communication channels and tools provided by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization to share information on seizures and arrests associated with totoaba specimen trafficking;

c) engage in awareness-raising activities on the illegal trade in totoaba, and its severe implications for the conservation of vaquitas (Phocoena sinus), including demand reduction campaigns, as well as activities to eliminate supply and demand for illegally sourced specimens of totoaba, taking into consideration the measures and activities outlined in the Meeting of Range Transit and Consumer States of Totoaba agreed outcomes document under the heading Opportunities to eliminate supply and demand for illegally sourced specimens of totoaba; and

d) provide financial and in-kind support for the implementation of the study called for in Decision 18.294 (Rev. CoP19), paragraph c) to be presented before the 77th meeting of the Standing Committee.

18.293 (Rev. CoP19)
Decision directed to:
Mexico

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.

18.294 (Rev. CoP19)
Decision directed to:
Secretariat

The Secretariat shall:

a) seek information from Parties on their implementation of Decision 18.292 (Rev. CoP19);

b) engage with partner agencies of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) in support of activities relevant to ICCWC partners, as outlined in the online Meeting of Range, Transit and Consumer States of Totoaba agreed outcomes document;

c) as a matter of urgency, revise the terms of reference for the study on vaquita and totoaba outlined in Annex 2 to document CoP18 Doc. 89 (Rev. 1), in consultation with the Standing Committee, through the Chair, taking into consideration the outcomes of the online Meeting of Range, Transit and Consumer States of Totoaba held in October 2021, and the decisions of the 74th meeting of the Standing Committee, and commence the study within the first quarter of 2023, subject to the availability of external resources and in consultation with organizations with relevant expertise; and

d) report the information communicated by Parties and Mexico in accordance with Decisions 18.292 (Rev. CoP19) and 18.293 (Rev. CoP19), as well as the study undertaken in accordance with paragraph c) above, in a timely manner (at least 45 days in advance of the 77th meeting of the Standing Committee) to the Standing Committee at its 77th meeting together with any recommendations it may have.

18.295 (Rev. CoP19)
Decision directed to:
Standing Committee

The Standing Committee shall:

a) review and assess the study undertaken in accordance with Decision 18.294 (Rev. CoP19), paragraph c) and any information and recommendations submitted by the Secretariat in accordance with Decision 18.294 (Rev. CoP19), as well as the report to be submitted in accordance with Decision 19.74; and

b) based on its assessment of the study undertaken in accordance with Decision 18.294 (Rev. CoP19), paragraph c), and if not satisfied with timely progress in the implementation of Decisions 18.292 (Rev. CoP19), 18.293 (Rev. CoP19) and 19.74, make recommendations as appropriate, which may where relevant include recommendations within the mandate of the Standing Committee in accordance with Resolution Conf. 14.3 (Rev. CoP19) on CITES compliance procedures.