Report of the Eleventh Session of the IOTC Working Party on Billfish

The Eleventh Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission‟s (IOTC) Working Party on Billfish (WPB) was held in La Réunion, France, from 18 to 22 September 2013. A total of 24 (23 in 2012) participants attended the Session, including one invited expert, Dr. Humber Andrade, from the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil.
The meeting was opened on 18 September, 2013 by the Chair, Dr Jérôme Bourjea (La Réunion, France), who welcomed participants to La Réunion, France.
Catch, Catch-and-effort, Size data
The WPB RECOMMENDED that all CPCs assess and improve the status of catch-and-effort data for marlins (by species) and sailfish, noting that improvements to the data for the EU fleets and its provision to the IOTC Secretariat, would be most beneficial to the work of the WPB. (para. 25)
Effect of piracy on billfish fisheries
The WPB NOTED that, although no specific analysis of the impacts of piracy on fisheries in the Indian Ocean were presented at this meeting, paper IOTC–2013–WPB11–07 Rev_1 indicated that there has been a substantial displacement of catch (Fig. 1) and effort eastward (Fig. 2). Since 2004, annual catches have declined steadily, largely due to the continued decline in the number of active Taiwan,China longliners in the Indian Ocean (Fig. 3). In recent years, the proportion of fishing effort of the Japanese longline fleet sharply decreased in the north-western Indian Ocean (off the Somalia coastline), while fishing effort increased in the area south of 25°S, especially off western Australia. (para. 40)
The WPB NOTED that the relative number of active longline vessels in the IOTC area of competence have declined substantially since 2008 (Fig. 3), and AGREED that this was likely due to the impact of piracy activities in the western Indian Ocean. Since 2011, there has been an increase in the relative number of active longline vessels in the Indian Ocean for Japan (68 in 2011 to 98 in 2012), China (10 in 2011 to 32 in 2012) and the Philippines (2 in 2011 to 14 in 2012) (Fig. 3). (Para. 41)
Pakistan gillnet fishery
RECALLING IOTC Resolution 12/12 to prohibit the use of large-scale driftnets on the high seas in the IOTC area, paragraph 1, which states:
“1. The use of large-scale driftnets on the high seas within the IOTC area of competence shall be prohibited.” “Large-scale driftnets” are defined as gillnets or other nets or a combination of nets that are more than 2.5 kilometers in length whose purpose is to enmesh, entrap, or entangle fish by drifting on the surface of, or in, the water column.”,
the WPB RECOMMENDED that the SC note the findings of the study that gillnets in excess of the 2.5 km limit are being used by the gillnet fleets of Pakistan on the high seas, in contravention of Resolution 12/12. (para. 44)
Revision of the WPB workplan
The WPB RECOMMENDED that the SC consider and endorse the workplan and assessment schedule for the WPB for 2014, and tentatively for future years, as provided at Appendix XII and Appendix XIII, respectively. (para 192)
Consolidated recommendations of the Eleventh Session of the Working Party on Billfish
The WPB RECOMMENDED that the Scientific Committee consider the consolidated set of recommendations arising from WPB11, provided at Appendix XIV, as well as the management advice provided in the draft resource stock status summary for each of the billfish species under the IOTC mandate: (para 205)
o Black marlin (Makaira indica) – Appendix VII
o Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) – Appendix VIII
o Striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax) – Appendix IX
o Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) – Appendix X o Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) – Appendix XI
A summary of the stock status for billfish species under the IOTC mandate is provided in Table 1.