A revision of the Operational Management Procedure (OMP) to be used for setting South African sardine and anchovy total allowable catches (TACs) and sardine total allowable bycatches (TABs) was adopted by the Marine and Coastal Management Pelagic Working Group in June 2004. This OMP, termed OMP-04, was agreed subject to further testing of the thresholds below which exceptional circumstances are declared and the rules governing the TACs and TABs when exceptional circumstances are declared. This document serves to report on such further testing.