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The 5th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC) Ad hoc Working Group on the Development of Electronic Monitoring Programme Standards (WGEMS) was held online on Zoom on 5 May 2025. A total of 43 participants attended the Session (80 in 2024, 89 in 2023 and 104 in 2022). The list of participants is provided in Appendix I. The meeting was opened by the Chairperson, Dr Hilario Murua (ISSF) who welcomed participants. The WGEMS NOTED that the ROS forms have been updated for purse seine, longline and pole and line by the Secretariat based on the revised minimum data fields endorsed by the SC. However, the WGEMS NOTED that the gillnet specific fields still need revision as gillnet fishery experts were not available to provide inputs into the review process. The WGEMS AGREED that the same gear-specific small working groups as those who worked together last year should review the revised data forms and ensure that all of the minimum data fields have been properly incorporated. The WGEMS ENCOURAGED those who would like to participate in this work to contact the Chair or the Secretariat. The WGEMS NOTED that no CPCs provided updates on EM pilots projects and that only Australia are currently providing EM data to the Secretariat despite Resolution 24/04 allowing CPCs to use EM to complement their onboard observers to raise their coverage levels. The WGEMS NOTED two papers relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence in analysing species composition from EM footage. The WGEMS NOTED that both approaches seemed promising but much work is still required to improve the accuracy of the analyses. The following is the recommendation from the WGEMS05 to the Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics. WGEMS04.01 (para. 35) The WGEMS RECOMMENDED that the WPDCS consider and endorse the WGEMS Programme of Work (2026–2029), as provided in Appendix IV.
