Report of the Ninth Session of the IOTC Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch

The Ninth Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission‘s (IOTC) Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch (WPEB) was held in La Reunion, France, from 12 to 16 September 2013. A total of 32 participants (48 in 2012) attended the Session. The meeting was opened by Mr Ludovic Courtois, Secrétaire général du Comité régional des pêches maritimes et des élevages marins (CRPMEM) de La Réunion, who welcomed participants to La Reunion and formally opened the Ninth Session of the IOTC Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch.
The Chair, Dr. Charles Anderson also subsequently welcomed participants to La Reunion, including the Invited Expert, Dr. Ronel Nel, from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Employment of a Fisheries Officer
NOTING the rapidly increasing scientific workload at the IOTC Secretariat, including a wide range of additional duties on ecosystems and bycatch assigned to it by the SC and the Commission, and that the new Fishery Officer (Science) supporting the IOTC scientific activities has not been given a mandate by the Commission to work on ecosystems and bycatch matters, the WPEB strongly RECOMMENDED that the Commission approve the hiring of a Fishery Officer (Bycatch) to work on bycatch matters in support of the scientific process. (para.12)
Regional observer scheme
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that the Compliance Committee and Commission consider how to address the lack of implementation of regional observer schemes by CPCs for their fleets and reporting to the IOTC Secretariat as per the provision of Resolution 11/04 on a Regional Observer Scheme, noting the update provided in Appendix VI. (para.35)
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that as a priority, the IOTC Secretariat should immediately commence work with CPCs that are yet to develop and implement a Regional Observer Scheme that would meet the requirements contained in Resolution 11/04, and provide an update at the next session of the WPEB. (para.37)
Training for CPCs having gillnet fleets on species identification, bycatch mitigation and data collection methods and also to identify other potential sources of assistance – Development of plans of action
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that the Commission allocate funds in its 2014 and 2015 budgets for the IOTC Secretariat to carry out training for CPCs having gillnet fleets on bycatch mitigation methods, species identification, and data collection methods (budget estimate: Table 4). (para.64)
Ecological Risk Assessment: review of current knowledge and potential management implications
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that the Commission note the list of the 10 most vulnerable shark species to longline gear (Table 7) and purse seine gear (Table 8) in the Indian Ocean, as determined by a productivity susceptibility analysis, compared to the list of shark species/groups required to be recorded for each gear, contained in Resolution 13/03 on the recording of catch and effort by fishing vessels in the IOTC area of competence. At the next revision to Resolution 13/03, the Commission may wish to add the missing species/groups of sharks and rays. (para.123)
Review of data needs and way forward for the evaluation of shark stocks
NOTING that Resolution 10/02 mandatory statistical requirements for IOTC Members and Cooperating Non- Contracting Parties (CPC's), makes provision for data to be reported to the IOTC on ―the most commonly caught shark species and, where possible, to the less common shark species‖, without giving any list defining the most common and less common species, and recognising the general lack of shark data being recorded and reported to the IOTC Secretariat, the WPEB RECOMMENDED that Resolution 10/02 is revised in order to include the list of most commonly caught elasmobranch species (Table 10) for which nominal catch data shall be reported as part of the statistical requirement for IOTC CPCs. (para.138)
Review of Resolution 12/04 on the conservation of marine turtles
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that at the next revision of IOTC Resolution 12/04 on the conservation of marine turtles, the measure is strengthened to ensure that where possible, CPCs report annually on the total estimated level of incidental catches of marine turtles, by species, as provided at Table 12. (para.168)
Resolution 10/02 Mandatory statistical [reporting] requirements for IOTC Members and Cooperating Non- Contracting Parties (CPCs)
NOTING that Resolution 10/02 does not make provisions for data to be reported to the IOTC on marine turtles, the WPEB RECOMMENDED that Resolution 10/02 is revised in order to make the reporting requirements coherent with those stated in Resolution 12/04 on the conservation of marine turtles and Resolution 13/03 on On the recording of catch and effort by fishing vessels in the IOTC area of competence. (para.169)

Format of future WPEB Sessions
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that the SC note the following: (para.253)
 The WPEB DISCUSSED the future format in order to focus the efforts of scientists working on
different groups of bycatch species to address more efficiently, the mandate of the group.
 The WPEB CONSIDERED a range of options which the SC is asked to consider:
o Option 1: The current WPEB be split into two; A dedicated Working Party on Sharks (WPS) and a Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch (WPEB).
o Option 2: Retaining the WPEB in its current form, with alternating focus of sharks in one year, followed by other ecosystem and bycatch issues in the next year.
o Option 3: Maintaining the WPEB with clear guidelines to deal with sharks every year, as well as other issues and bycatch groups in alternate years or as required.
 The WPEB AGREED that shark issues were important to address on a yearly basis. Election of a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for the next biennium
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that the SC note the new Chairperson, Dr. Rui Coelho (EU,Portugal) and Vice- Chairperson, Dr. Evgeny Romanov (La Réunion), of the WPEB for the next biennium. (para.263)
Report of the Ninth Session of the Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch
The WPEB RECOMMENDED that the Scientific Committee consider the consolidated set of recommendations arising from WPEB09, provided at Appendix XXI, as well as the management advice provided in the draft resource stock status summary for each of the seven shark species, as well of those for marine turtles and seabirds: (para.265)
Sharks
o Blue sharks (Prionace glauca) – Appendix X
o Oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) – Appendix XI o Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) – Appendix XII
o Shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) – Appendix XIII
o Silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) – Appendix XIV
o Bigeye thresher sharks (Alopias superciliosus) – Appendix XV
o Pelagic thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus) – Appendix XVI
Other species/groups
o Marine turtles – Appendix XVII o Seabirds – Appendix XVIII
A summary of the stock status for some of the most commonly caught shark species caught in association with IOTC fisheries for tuna and tuna-like species is provided in Table 1.