WCPFC Electronic Reporting and Electronic Monitoring Working Group

Kerry Smith, Chair of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Electronic Reporting and Electronic Monitoring Group, presented on the approach being taken within the WCPO. Ms Smith noted that in WCPFC, EM is recognised as a system of technologies and can include sensors and cameras or sensors only and reflected that vessel monitoring systems are an example of EM.

In relation to EM, Ms Smith noted that one of the early pieces of work was to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the data needs of the Commission against the various data collection and verification tools to determine what data fields can be collected by EM. This analysis, known as Project 93, provided a good foundation for determining the priority areas but also provided a useful broadscale analysis of the Commission’s data collection and verification tools. Similarly to ICCAT and IATTC, WCPFC also undertook a comparison of data collected by EM technology compared to data collected by observers. The analysis reinforced the point that EM technologies cannot collect all the data that observers can collect and similarly observers cannot collect all the data that EM technologies can collect (EM can work 24 hours and the footage can be viewed multiple times - this can be particularly important for identification of bycatch species). The Commission agreed to prioritise EM in areas where data collection and verification is low with transhipment monitoring and high seas long line fishing key focus areas.

In 2019, the Commission agreed to an objective for a WCPFC EM program - to collect verified  catch  and effort data, other scientific data, and additional information related to the fishery from the Convention Area and to  monitor  the  implementation  of  the  conservation  and  management  measures  adopted  by  the Commission. The objective was deliberately broad to ensure it accommodated the priorities of members as they develop their use of EM technology.

The adoption of a Commission wide objective and priority areas has paved the way for progress on a standards based EM conservation and management measure. The draft standards draw from established WCPFC programs (such as VMS, ROP) and cover program, technical, logistics and data analysis. The intention is to ensure that a WCPFC EM programme is as inclusive as possible to allow members to adopt the technology to suit their domestic objectives. Work over the coming year will continue to focus on developing WCPFC standards.