CMM 2009-06 34

34.  There shall be no transhipment on the high seas except where a CCM has determined, in accordance with the guidelines described in paragraph 37 below, that it is impracticable for certain vessels that it is responsible for to operate without being able to tranship on the high seas, and has advised the Commission of such.

37. The Executive Director shall prepare draft guidelines for the determination of circumstances where it is impracticable for certain vessels to tranship in port or in waters under national jurisdiction. The Technical and Compliance Committee shall consider these guidelines, amend as necessary, and recommend them to the Commission for adoption in 2012. In the meantime, CCMs shall use the following guidelines when determining the practicability of high seas transshipments
a. The prohibition of transhipment in the high seas would cause a significant economic hardship, which would be assessed in terms of the cost that would be incurred to transship or land fish at feasible and allowable locations other than on the high seas, as compared to total operating costs, net revenues, or some other meaningful measure of costs and/or revenues; and
b. The vessel would have to make significant and substantial changes to its historical mode of operation as a result of the prohibition of transhipment in the high seas;