Fisheries Administrative Order No. 245-4: Series of 2018. Regulations and implementing guidelines on group tuna purse seine operations in high seas pocket number 1 as a special management area.

This Administrative Order covers the 36 Philippine registered traditional group seine fishing vessels granted access to the HSP1-SMA, having gross tonnage of not more than 250 GT issued with International Fishing Permits, and listed in the WCPFC record of fishing vessels. It applies only to HSP-1 SMA, which is the area of the high seas bounded by the EEZs of the Federated States of Micronesia to the north and east, Republic of Palau to the west, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to the south with exact coordinates as used by WCPFC Vessel Monitoring. Fishing access to operate in HSP1-SMA is granted on the basis of compliance to specific criteria.

Compatible measure for the high seas and exclusive economic zones (EEZs) are implemented so that bigeye, yellowfin and skipjack tuna stocks are, at a minimum,maintained at levels capable of producing their maximum sustainable yield, as qualified by relevant environmental and economic factors including the special requirements of developing States in the Convention Area as expressed by Article 5 of the Convention.

The vessels or the fishing company shall notify BFAR through electronic or any means the entry and the exit the HSP-1 SMA. Likewise, this information shall be transmitted to the adjacent coastal States / Territories and WCPFC. The report should be in the following format: "VID/entry or Exit: Date/Time; Lat/Long." The vessels operating in HSP-1 SMA should report sightings of any fishing vessel to the BFAR and WCPFC Secretariat Such information shall include vessel type, date, time, position, markings, heading and speed. The Bureau shall maintain an updated list of all fishing vessels operating in the I-ISP-i SMA based on the foregoing vessel's entry and exit reports submitted to WCPFC. The list will be submitted to WCPFC and will be made available to WCPFC members and other concerned stakeholders through dedicated website, www.bfar.gov.ph. Any violations of the provisions of this Fisheries Administrative Order shall be penalized with fines and penalties specified in the text.