Article 9 Verification

F1The licensing authorities must ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to attempt to identify each lot of bluefin tuna landed in, transhipped in, domestically traded in, imported into or exported or re-exported from F2Great BritainF3and, where identified, that the validated catch document(s) and related documentation of each lot of bluefin tuna F4are requested and examined. F5...

F6Where appropriate, the examination referred to in paragraph 1 may include an examination of the content of the lot to verify the information contained in the F7bluefin tuna catch document and in related documents and, where necessary, F8... verifications with the operators concerned.

If, as a result of examinations or verifications carried out pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2, a doubt arises regarding the information contained in a F9bluefin tuna catch document, F10the licensing authorityF11mustF12communicate with the relevant authority which validated the catch document(s) or re-export certificate(s) to resolve such doubts.

If a F14licensing authority identifies a lot with no F15bluefin tuna catch document, it must notify its findings to F16—

Pending the examinations or verifications under paragraphs 1 and 2, F17F18the licensing authority must not release the lot for domestic trade, import or export F19....

Where F20the licensing authority, as a result of examinations or verifications pursuant to F21this Article and in cooperation with the validating authorities concerned, determines that a F22bluefin tuna catch document or re-export certificate is invalid, the domestic trade, import, export or re-export of the lot of bluefin tuna concerned F23must be prohibited.

In paragraph 1 “the licensing authorities” means the Marine Management Organisation, the Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Ministers.