EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 2.10.2026
COM(2026) 531 final
ANNEXES
to the
Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Area of Application of the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA)
ANNEX 1
SIOFA's Subareas
Subarea 1
Coordinates are given clockwise from the northwest (upper left) corner:
- 20° South, 30° East
- 20° South, 40° East
- 36° South, 40° East
- 36° South, 30° East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of South Africa and Mozambique.
Or alternatively: Area bound north of 36 degrees South, between 30 and 40 degrees East, and the EEZs of South Africa and Mozambique on the north-west side.
Subarea 2
20 degrees South, 40 degrees East
20 degrees South, 49 degrees East
36 degrees South, 49 degrees East
36 degrees South, 40 degrees East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of Madagascar
Or alternatively: Area bound north of 36 degrees South, between 40 and 49 degrees East, and the Madagascar EEZ on the north side
Subarea 3a
20 degrees South, 49 degrees East
20 degrees South, 65 degrees East
36 degrees South, 65 degrees East
36 degrees South, 49 degrees East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius
Or alternatively: Area bound north of 36 degrees South, between 49 and 65 degrees East, and the Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius EEZs on the north side
Subarea 3b
36 degrees South, 30 degrees East
36 degrees South, 65 degrees East
45 degrees South, 65 degrees East
45 degrees South, 30 degrees East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of the Kerguelen and Crozet islands (French Overseas Territories)
Subarea 4
- South border is 36° South and EEZ,
- East border is 90° East,
- West border is 80° East and EEZ,
- North border is 20° South.
The southwest corner is cut at the edge by the Martin-de-Viviès/Saint-Paul EEZ.
Or alternatively:
20 degrees South, 80 degrees East
20 degrees South, 90 degrees East
36 degrees South, 90 degrees East
36 degrees South, 80 degrees East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of the Amsterdam islands (French Overseas Territories)
Subarea 5
- South border is 36° South,
- East border is 105° East,
- West border is 90° East,
- North border is 25° South.
Or alternatively:
25 degrees South, 90 degrees East
25 degrees South, 105 degrees East
36 degrees South, 105 degrees East
36 degrees South, 90 degrees East
Subarea 6
20 degrees South, 65 degrees East
20 degrees South, 80 degrees East
45 degrees South, 80 degrees East
45 degrees South, 65 degrees East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of the Amsterdam islands (French Overseas Territories)
Subarea 7
20 degrees South, 80 degrees East
20 degrees South, 120 degrees East
55 degrees South, 120 degrees East
55 degrees South, 80 degrees East
With the exclusion of Subareas 4 and 5, and the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of the Amsterdam islands (French Overseas Territories) and Australia
Subarea 8
10 degrees North, 40 degrees East
10 degrees North, 65 degrees East
0 degrees South, 65 degrees East
0 degrees South, 80 degrees East
20 degrees South, 80 degrees East
20 degrees South, 40 degrees East
With the exclusion of the landmass, territorial waters and EEZs of British IOT, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, Comoros, Tanzania Kenya, Somalia
Subarea Del Cano Rise
- North of 45° South, and
- South of 44° South when West of 44°09', and
- South of 43°30' South when East of 44°09', and
- Between the adjacent EEZs to the East and West.
Subarea Williams Ridge
This subarea is defined as within the box bounded by the following points:
|
Point |
Latitude |
Longitude |
|
1 |
-52.5 |
80.0 |
|
2 |
-55 |
80.0 |
|
3 |
-55 |
85.0 |
|
4 |
-52.5 |
85.0 |
Subarea South Indian Ridge
This subarea is defined as within the box bounded by the following points:
|
Point |
Latitude |
Longitude |
|
1 |
40°00’ S |
43°30’ E |
|
2 |
44°00’ S |
43°30’ E |
|
3 |
44°00’ S |
40°55’ E |
|
4 |
43°47.2’ S |
40°30’ E |
|
5 |
40°00’ S |
40°30’ E |
ANNEX 2
Fishery Closures
Table 1: SIOFA Benthic Fishery Closures, closed to all bottom fishing with the coordinates and closure type
|
Area Name |
Position 1 |
Position 2 |
Position 3 |
Position 4 |
Closure type |
|
|
Gulden Draak |
28° 00' S 98° 00' E |
29° 00' S 98°00 E |
28° 00' S 99° 00' E |
29° 00' S 99° 00' E |
Closed to all bottom fishing activities |
|
|
Rusky |
31° 20' S 94° 40' E |
31° 30' S 94° 55' E |
31° 20' S 95° 00' E |
31° 30' S 95° 00' E |
||
|
Fools-Flat |
31° 30' S 94° 40' E |
31° 40' S 94° 40' E |
31° 30' S 95° 00' E |
31° 40' S 95° 00' E |
||
|
East Broken Ridge |
32° 50' S 100° 50' E |
33° 25' S 100° 50' E |
32° 50' S 101° 40' E |
33° 25' S 101° 40' E |
||
|
Mid-Indian Ridge 1 |
13° 00' S 64° 00' E |
15° 50' S 64° 00' E |
3a |
3b |
15° 50' S 68° 00' E |
|
|
15° 50' S 66° 48' E |
15° 02' S 68° 00' E |
|||||
|
Atlantis Bank |
32° 00' S 57° 00' E |
32° 50' S 57° 00' E |
32° 00' S 58° 00' E |
32° 50' S 58° 00' E |
||
|
Bridle |
38° 03' S 49° 00' E |
38° 45' S 49° 00' E |
38° 03' S 50° 00' E |
38° 45' S 50° 00' E |
||
|
Banana |
30° 20' S 45° 40' E |
30° 30' S 45° 40' E |
30° 20' S 46° 00' E |
30° 30' S 46° 00' E |
||
|
Middle of What |
37° 54' S 50° 23' E |
37° 56.5' S 50° 23' E |
37° 54' S 50° 27' E |
37° 56.5' S 50° 27' E |
||
Table 2: SIOFA Benthic Fishery Closures, closed to all bottom fishing, but where bottom longlining is permitted, with the coordinates and closure type.
|
Area Name |
Position 1 |
Position 2 |
Position 3 |
Position 4 |
Closure type |
|
Walters Shoal |
33° 00' S 43° 10' E |
33° 20' S 43° 10' E |
33° 00' S 44° 10' E |
33° 20' S 44° 10' E |
Closed to bottom fishing, with bottom longlining permitted |
|
Coral |
41° 00' S 42° 00' E |
41° 40' S 42° 00' E |
41° 00' S 44° 00' E |
41° 40' S 44° 00' E |
|
|
Magneto (formally South Indian Ridge) |
44° 00' S 40° 52' 40.8'' E |
45° 00' S 42° 07' 26.4'' E |
44° 00' S 46° 32' 38.4'' E |
45° 00' S 45° 42' 39.6'' E |
ANNEX 3
VME-indicator units of species
|
Domain |
Bacteria |
|
|
Chemosyntheticorganisms |
CXV |
|
|
Phylum |
Bryozoa |
BZN |
|
Phylum |
Xenophyophorea |
XEF |
|
Phylum |
Brachiopoda |
BRQ |
|
Phylum |
Porifera |
PFR |
|
Class |
Hexactinellida |
HXY |
|
Class |
Demospongiae |
DMO |
|
Phylum |
Cnidaria |
CNI |
|
Order |
Actiniaria |
ATX |
|
Order |
Alcyonacea |
AJZ |
|
Order |
Anthoathecata |
AZN |
|
Order |
Antipatharia |
AQZ |
|
Order |
Gorgonacea |
GGW |
|
Order |
Scleractinia |
CSS |
|
Order |
Pennatulacea |
NTW |
|
Order |
Zoantharia |
ZOT |
|
Family |
Stylasteridae |
AXT |
|
Phylum |
Echinodermata |
|
|
Class |
Crinoidea |
CWD |
|
Order |
Euryalida |
OEQ |
|
Order |
Cidaroida |
CVD |
|
Phylum |
Anellida |
|
|
Family |
Serpulidae |
SZS |
|
Phylum |
Arthropoda |
|
|
Family |
Bathylasmatidae |
BWY |
|
Phylum |
Tunicata |
|
|
Class |
Ascidiacea |
SSX |
|
Phylum |
Hemichordata |
|
|
Class |
Pterobranchia |
HET |
ANNEX 4
Template to use for daily longline reporting when fishing in the Del Cano Rise, Williams Ridge and South Indian Ridge areas
Member States shall ensure that their fishing vessels inform the Secretariat (mcs@siofa.org) daily on start and end point of set longlines, and shall use the following template:
|
Vessel name: |
Vessel flag: |
||
|
Set Start Date: |
Set Start Time: |
||
|
Set Start Longitude: |
Set Start Latitude: |
||
|
Set Start Depth: |
|||
|
Set End Date: |
Set End Time: |
||
|
Set End Longitude: |
Set End Latitude: |
||
|
Set End Depth: |