illegal fishing, any fishing activity: –carried out by national or foreign vessels in maritime waters under the jurisdiction of a State without the permission of that State or in violation of the laws and regulations in force. – carried out by vessels flying the flag of a state which is a contracting party to a relevant regional fisheries management organization, but which operate in violation of the conservation and management measures adopted by said organization and by which the said state is bound, or of the relevant provisions of international law; – carried out in violation of national laws or international obligations, including those entered into by states cooperating with a relevant regional fisheries management organization;

The State sustainably manages, in the interest of the national community and taking into account its commitments under international conventions, the biological and fishery resources of the waters under Ivorian jurisdiction, which constitute a national heritage.

To this end, the State promotes responsible fishing and adopts conservation and participatory management measures that ensure the sustainability of biological and fishery resources.

The institutional mechanisms for the participation of concerned stakeholders in the sustainable management of biological and fishery resources are established by regulation

It is prohibited:

• To use, in the practice of fishing, explosive materials, toxic substances, or baits that may weaken, stun, excite, or kill living aquatic resources or contaminate their habitat.
• To have on board fishing vessels or canoes the materials and substances mentioned in the previous paragraph.
• To practice fishing with light or pair trawling.
• To use any other means prohibited by this law and its implementing texts.

The following shall be punished with imprisonment from one to five years and a fine from 50,000,000 francs to 300,000,000 francs or one of these two penalties only:

• fishes in prohibited areas and during prohibited periods;
• violate the monitoring, control and surveillance measures prescribed by the competent authority, in particular measures related to satellite control systems;
• use all types of fishing gear, all means or devices which have the effect of making the opening of the net smaller than the minimum permitted opening or reducing the selective action of the fishing gear;
• using prohibited fishing equipment and methods, including prohibited fishing nets and nets whose mesh size does not comply with the permitted dimensions;
• Use a fishing vessel for a type of operation other than that for which it is authorized in the license category it does not hold;
• using explosives or toxic substances for fishing purposes, holding them or transporting them without authorization on board a fishing vessel;
• using submerged lights for fishing purposes;
• fishing with chalut bosuf;
• use any other means of fishing contrary to this law and its implementing texts;
• not complying with the rules on related fishing operations;
• making unauthorized transshipments of catches;
• carrying out clandestine landing of catches;
• violating the obligation to unload catches in Côte d'Ivoire ports;
• violate the declaration obligations, through failure to declare, incomplete declarations or misleading declarations;
• not complying with the rules on the processing and marketing of fishery products;
• not complying with the conditions of the fishing license;
• knowingly holding, buying or selling IUU fishing products;

In the event of a conviction, the judge will order the confiscation of the products and catches resulting from the offense.

In addition, the confiscation of the fishing gear used may be ordered.

In the cases provided for in point 6 of paragraph 1, explosives and substances shall be confiscated.

Attempts to commit the offenses provided for in this article shall be punishable.

Anyone who:

• catches, keeps, markets or sells species whose sizes or weights are below the prescribed standards;
• catch by retention aquatic species in violation of the prescribed provisions;
• violate the rules on by-catches and their destination;
• fails to comply with the obligation to report statistical data and information on catches contained in fishing logs and provides false or incomplete data or information;
• fails to comply with the rules on limiting catches of certain species, set at a maximum authorized catch;
• violate the provisions on reducing post-catch losses;

In the event of a conviction, the judge will order the confiscation of the products and catches resulting from the offense.

In addition, confiscation of the fishing gear used may be ordered.

The fishing, hunting, capture and detention of any species protected by the applicable international conventions is prohibited, except with special authorization from the Minister responsible for fisheries, for the purposes of scientific or technical research.

Fishing, hunting, capturing, and possessing all species protected under applicable international conventions are prohibited, except with special authorization from the Minister in charge of fisheries, for scientific or technical research purposes.

For the purposes of this decree:

• fish concentration device (FCD) means any man-made floating object with the aim of concentrating fish at certain points in maritime waters.

The following are prohibited in waters under the jurisdiction of Côte d'Ivoire and in continental waters: 10. Fish concentration devices (FCDs) that do not comply with current standards.