Final Report: Meeting on collaborative activities for cetacean bycatch, IOTC-IWC_Rev1

Ahead of the WPEB, the IOTC and IWC Secretariat held a meeting to discuss possible areas for collaboration on work related to reducing cetacean bycatch in the Indian Ocean. This draft report details the discussions and conclusions of that meeting.

It was noted that it is important to have some key recommendations to be presented at the WPEB meeting for items to be supported by the group and taken to the Scientific Committee and Commission for further endorsement and for funding opportunities for work. It was decided that the recommendations to be brought forward for discussion at the WPEB were the following:

• That the IOTC and the IWC commit to working more closely on the issue of cetacean bycatch in Indian Ocean tuna fishery, including through assessing information gaps, assessing risk, the BMI’s pilot projects, and capacity building opportunities (such as the FAO Technical Guidelines and the Common Oceans ABNJ Phase 2 development).
• That the IOTC and IWC build on existing proposals for data collation (e.g. ToR developed by WWF Pakistan)and develop a contract for a consultant to collate all available information on national tuna fishing fleets (particularly small-scale and artisanal gillnet vessels) and historical data on cetacean bycatch for different fishing gears, and reach out to researchers who may have these data, collate all information and provide an estimate of bycatch across the region classified by fisheries.
• That the IOTC in collaboration with the IWC and other experts evaluate the available existing data relating to cetacean bycatch, fleet composition and effort and suggest what information is useful and what is not, what gaps exist and what additional information could be collected.
• That the IOTC review the data collection component of Resolution 13/04 with a view to strengthening this in relation to the issues raised during the meeting
• That that IOTC in collaboration with the IWC and other experts conduct an Ecological Risk Assessment for cetaceans using currently available information
• That a follow-up (virtual) meeting be held in collaboration with the IWC prior to the next IOTC Scientific Committee meeting to further develop and refine the collaborative activities and the requests to the Committee from this group.