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1. The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to fishing activities subject to the rules on sightings at sea adopted within regional fishery management organisations which are binding to the Community.

2. In the event that a Member State's competent authority responsible for inspection at sea sights a fishing vessel engaged in activities that may be considered as IUU fishing, it shall forthwith issue a report of the sighting. Such report and the results of investigations carried out on that fishing vessel by that Member State shall be considered evidence for use in the implementation of the identification and enforcement mechanisms provided in this Regulation.

3. In the event that the master of a Community or a third country fishing vessel sights a fishing vessel engaged in activities referred to in paragraph 2, the master may document as much information as possible on such sighting, for instance:

(a) the name and description of the fishing vessel;

(b) the fishing vessel's call sign;

(c) the registration number and, if appropriate, the Lloyds IMO number of the fishing vessel;

(d) the flag State of the fishing vessel;

(e) the position (latitude, longitude) at the time when first identified;

(f) the date/time UTC when first identified;

(g) a photograph or photographs of the fishing vessel to support the sighting;

(h) any other relevant information regarding the observed activities of the fishing vessel concerned.

4. Sighting reports shall be sent without delay to the competent authority of the flag Member State of the sighting fishing vessel, which shall transmit them as soon as possible to the Commission or to the body designated by it. The Commission or the body designated by it shall then immediately inform the flag State of the fishing vessel sighted. The Commission or a body designated by it shall thereupon transmit the sighting report to all the Member States and, as appropriate, to the Executive Secretary of the relevant regional fisheries management organisations for further action in accordance with the measures adopted by those organisations.

5. A Member State which receives a sighting report reporting the activities of a fishing vessel flying its flag from the competent authority of a contracting party of a regional fisheries management organisation shall notify the report and all relevant information as soon as possible to the Commission or to the body designated by it, which shall thereupon forward this information to the Executive Secretary of the regional fisheries management organisation concerned for further action in accordance with the measures adopted by this organisation, as appropriate.

6. This Article shall apply without prejudice to stricter provisions adopted by regional fisheries management organisations to which the Community is a contracting party.