Preliminary results of the implementation of the FAO matrix approach for the characterization of selected IOTC fisheries

IOTC current definition of artisanal and industrial fisheries is mainly driven by the categorisation of fishing vessels by their length overall (LOA) and area of operation. Acknowledging the limitations of the current definition, IOTC Artisanal fisheries are regarded as the major contributors to catches of IOTC species in the Indian Ocean, accounting for more than 55% of total annual reported catches in recent years.

Nevertheless, there is a general lack of knowledge on artisanal fisheries in the IOTC that affects the quality of reported fisheries data, the structure and composition of the fleets, as well as the proper characterization of the concept of artisanal or ‘small-scale fishery’ per se.

At the 2021 meeting of the IOTC Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS), FAO presented paper IOTC-2021-WPDCS17-23, “Towards a statistical definition of small-scale fisheries”, to assist national management and enable inter-comparability of data and information on small-scale fisheries.

The proposed approach seeks to avoid misleading or inappropriate characterizations of fisheries as small-scale or large-scale, which can sometimes occur when a single criterion, such as vessel length or area of operation, is emphasized (as in the case of IOTC).