Article 5 Conditions for validity

1.   The special fishing permit provided for in Article 3(1) shall make it explicit that fishing activities carried out under it must conform to the fishing plan submitted in accordance with Article 4(1) at all times.

2.   Where circumstances beyond the control of the person responsible for the vessel operations necessitate an alteration of the submitted plans, the person responsible for the vessel’s operations shall inform the competent authorities without delay, indicating the modifications intended to the original plan. The competent authorities shall examine such alterations and shall not authorise them if they entail a relocation of the activities to areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems occur or are likely to occur.

3.   Failure to conform to the fishing plan provided for in Article 4(1) in circumstances other than those specified in paragraph 2 of this Article shall entail the withdrawal by the flag State of the special fishing permit issued to the fishing vessel concerned.