Full retention of tunas

Company commitment to:

1. Retain on board and then land all bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, and yellowfin tuna caught, except fish considered unfit for human consumption.

2. Procedures for the implementation of full retention requirements include:

     a) No bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, and/or yellowfin tuna caught by purse seine vessels may be discarded after the point in the

         set when the net is fully pursed and more than one half of the net has been retrieved. If equipment malfunctions affect the

         process of pursing and retrieving the net in such a way that this rule cannot be complied with, the crew must make efforts

         to release the tuna as soon as possible.

     b) The following two exceptions to the above rule shall apply:

          i. Where it is determined by the captain of the vessel that tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) caught are

             unfit for human consumption, the following definitions shall be applied:

               - "unfit for human consumption" are fish that:

                    - is meshed or crushed in the purse seine; or

                    - is damaged due to depredation; or

                    - has died and spoiled in the net where a gear failure has prevented both the normal retrieval of the net and catch,

                      and efforts to release the fish alive;

              - "unfit for human consumption" does not include fish that:

                   - is considered undesirable in terms of size, marketability, or species composition; or

                   - is spoiled or contaminated as the result of an act or omission of the crew of the fishing vessel.

          ii. Where the captain of a vessel determines that tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) was caught during the

              final set of a trip and there is insufficient well space to accommodate all tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin

              tuna) caught in that set. This fish may only be discarded if:

          - the captain and crew attempt to release the tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) alive as soon as possible;              and

          - no further fishing is undertaken after the discard until the tuna (bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna or yellowfin tuna) on board

            the vessel has been landed or transhipped.