Comparing observer data with video monitoring on a French purse seiner in the Indian Ocean

Data collected through an Electonic Monitoring feasability study are presented. The study demonstrates that for for some variables, EM is able to provide reliable fisheries information from French tropical tuna purse seiners. Specifically, these variables are: i) location and time of all fishing events, ii) species composition of catch per event, and iii) total catch weight by species for main target species (yellowfin and skipjack). These results are encouraging and directly correspond with the compliance related objectives of the current observer program. These results also indicate that progress is still required to be made for EM to be considered as an equivalent or complementary option to the scientific observer programme. Set type and non-target species identification are the primary areas where further work is required to improve the data collection processes and outputs.