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1. Release orders before caging shall be issued: by the competent authority of the Member State or CPC of the donor operator when, on the basis of the prior transfer notification, the competent authority of the Member State of the catching vessel or trap refuses the transfer operation as per Article 46; or by the competent authority of the farm Member State or CPC when, in accordance with Article 45d, paragraph 8 the caging authorisation has not been issued by the competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC within 1 month after the request for a caging authorisation.

2. Release orders after caging shall be issued: by the competent authority of the catching flag or trap Member States or CPC when, following procedures in paragraphs 7 to 9 of Article 50 it is established that the weight caged exceed that reported caught. The release order shall be notified to the competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC, which shall transmit it to the farm operator concerned; or

by the competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC when, after harvest, the remaining fish is not covered by an eBCD, or when a carry-over assessment or control transfer has identified an excess of fish. For cases under the first paragraph of point 2, the total weight of bluefin tuna to be released shall be converted into a corresponding number of individuals by applying the average weight resulting from the analysis of the stereoscopic camera video footages related to the relevant caging operation, made by the competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 51. Segregation of fish prior to the release operation 3. Prior to the release from a farm cage, the competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC shall ensure that: the fish to be released is segregated and moved to an empty transport cage, and the transfer of the fish to the transport cage is monitored by control camera in the water, in accordance with the minimum standards set out in Annex X; the number of fish segregated for release corresponds to the release order.

4. The prior segregation of the fish shall be conducted in the presence of an ICCAT regional observer. Record of the release operation by video camera 5. The release of bluefin tuna from transport or farm cages into the sea shall be recorded by control camera. All release operations into the sea shall be observed by an ICCAT regional observer. Reporting 6. For each release operation performed, the donor operator or farm operator responsible for the release shall complete a release report, using the template set out in section 13 of this Annex.

7. The ICCAT regional observer shall validate the information in the release declaration. The donor operator or farm operator shall submit the release declaration to its authorities within 48 hours of the release operation taking place for transmission to the ICCAT Secretariat. General provisions 8. Release operations from purse seine nets, traps or transport cages shall be executed immediately after receipt of the release order.

9. Release operations from farms shall be executed within 3 months of the last caging operation of the fish concerned and at a minimum distance of 10 miles from the farm. For releases of less than 5 tonnes of bluefin tuna, the competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC may set a shorter distance, of minimum 5 miles, for the release.

10. The master of the towing vessel or the farm operator shall be responsible for the fish survival until the release operation has taken place.

11. The competent authorities of the farm Member State or CPC might implement any additional measures they feel necessary to guarantee that the release operations take place at the most appropriate time and place in order to increase the probability of the fish going back to the stock.

12. The provisions of this Annex shall not apply to release of bluefin tuna from traps as a result of lifting of the gear at the end of the activity.

13. RELEASE REPORT TEMPLATE: