Considerations on combined strategies for collecting information and sampling of multiple variables for statistical tasks and scientific studies on tuna and tuna-like species: ethical reflections on scientific activity in the context of t-RFMOs

This paper remind the combined systems applied by flag states and/or scientists to obtain representative multiple variables for these fish species which can be used to prepare basic statistics tasks and/or to prepare scientific studies on different species and topics. It also pays attention to observations at sea which, together with other mechanisms in place, are used to obtain statistical tasks and to carry out research. The results obtained from research are regularly presented via scientific papers which improve the knowledge about fish and other species, provide indicators in some cases considered representative of abundance and examine various issues for improving stock assessments. Scientific studies also allow us to learn more about both fish and non-fish bycatch species, particularly in the case of the sporadic and rare events observed in some fisheries.

The paper also proposes a critical consideration of some ethical issues that may arise as a result of the biased or misleading interpretation of data and scientific studies submitted, and of the omissions or misinterpretations that may appear as fake information or post-truth in some cases regarding the tRFMO studies presented, reports and assessments.