Key Messages & Vital Statistics
Participation & Geographic Spread
Historical Trend of HSBI Events (2018-2025)
Following a significant drop in 2020 due to the pandemic (36 inspections), boarding and inspection activities have steadily increased back towards the peak levels observed in 2018 and 2019.
2025 Inspected Vessels by Type
Distribution of the 99 total vessels inspected during 2025 across the Convention Area.
Historical Longliner Infringements
Breakdown of outcomes for the 1,421 historical inspections conducted on Longliner vessels.
Compliance Data & Non-Compliance Trends
Infringement by Flag CCM (Select CCMs)
Proportion of non-compliance and serious infringements identified during inspections for selected boarded vessel flags.
Identified Compliance Gaps
Operational inspections have consistently identified specific areas of concern:
- Bycatch Mitigation: Tori lines for seabirds are regularly non-compliant and rarely used.
- Safety & Handling: Lack of de-hookers to reduce injury risks for turtles.
- Reporting: Suspected under-reporting of catch and breaches regarding shark carcasses.
- Identification: Non-compliant or obscured vessel markings.
- Labour: Instances of poor crew and labour conditions.
Infringement Rates by Vessel Type (2008 - 2026)
Proportion of inspections resulting in no infringements, minor infringements, and serious infringements across different vessel types.
Conclusions
Based on the analysis of the HSBI data, several key operational insights emerge regarding monitoring and compliance across the Convention Area:
- Recovery of Inspection Activity: Following the severe reduction in boardings during the COVID-19 pandemic, operational tempo has rebounded significantly, with 2025 seeing 134 inspections, nearing historical pre-pandemic averages.
- Targeting and Risk: While longliners account for the vast majority of historical inspections (92% of the recent five-year period), support vessels exhibit the highest proportional rate of serious non-compliance (50%), suggesting a potential area for targeted, risk-based monitoring despite their lower overall presence.
- Persistent Compliance Gaps: The recurrent identification of issues related to bycatch mitigation equipment (e.g., tori lines and de-hookers), catch reporting accuracy, and labour conditions highlights a need for continued enforcement focus.
- Regional Participation: With just over half (52%) of all CCMs actively notifying intention to participate in the HSBI scheme, there is a clear opportunity to further expand the framework's operational footprint and strengthen cooperative surveillance capabilities.