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The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the IOTC and the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF) was initiated in April 2002, with providing technical guidance for Projects to assist developing countries in the Indian Ocean region to improve the data collection and quality of fisheries statistics. Phases I (April 2002 - March 2007) and II (June 2007 -March 2010) of the Project ran for eight consecutive years.
The success of Phase I and II of the Project, the OFCF agreed to support the implementation of a new phase (Phase III) for a maximum of three years from 2010 to 2012. The Terms of Reference of Phase III focus on support of IOTC coastal countries in the strengthening of activities related to the Regional Observer Scheme, specially focusing on artisanal fisheries in IOTC Resolution 11/04,
4. The number of the artisanal fishing vessels landings shall also be monitored at the landing place by field samplers. The indicative level of the coverage of the artisanal fishing vessels should progressively increase towards 5% of the total levels of vessel activity (i.e. total number of vessel trips or total number of vessels active).
A new MOU between the IOTC and the OFCF was signed in June 15th 2010 including the provision of funds and detachment of an OFCF Expert to the IOTC Secretariat in June 30th to coordinate the activities of the Project, along with the IOTC Data Coordinator and other staff from the Secretariat, as required. The duration of Phase III of the Project is three years, until March 2013, with funds committed for each year and extension of the Project agreed through exchange of letters between the IOTC and the OFCF.
The Project keeps the following three main principles since 2002:
The activities undertaken under the Project follow the recommendations of the Commission and its relevant subsidiary bodies: the Working Parties and the Scientific Committee.
There will be no direct financial implications for IOTC Member countries.
The activities of the Project should be directed towards reinforcing the
statistical systems of developing countries from the region.
The present comprehensive report covers the activities of the IOTC-OFCF Project from June 2010 to March 2013, and also includes an overview of the activities implemented through Phase I and Phase II. The following activities were implemented by the Project during Phase III:
1. Comoros: The Project carried out frame survey and Census during January and May 2011, and July and September 2012 in line with the port sampling activities funded by IOTC and EU, and also provided the training course on catch estimation based on the data collected from the frame and census survey and port sampling activities. Preliminary estimates of catch and effort were made by the Project. Port sampling scheme used this program showed possibility of 5% coverage of vessels activities
2. Indonesia: The Project held a workshop on the Indonesia catch estimation in March 2012, with the collaboration of the Indonesian Directorate General of Capture Fisheries and other national and international organizations including non-government. The Project also published workshop reports in English ad Indonesia in September 2012.
3. Sri Lanka: The Project carried out upgrading the Centralized Database Management System. This System was in place in the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Fisheries Resource Development in March 2012. The Project also assisted to improve port sampling from November 2012 to February 2013. The improved sampling aims to cover at least 5% of vessels activities around Sri Lanka
4. Iran: The Project carried out upgrading the Centralized Database Management System through technical advices including provision of equipment. This System was in place in the Ministry of Fisheries
5. Mauritius: The Project sent a mission to assess and evaluate the collection and processing system of local fisheries including foreign fresh-tuna longline fisheries, especially focusing on Albacore, following a recommendation made by the working party on Temperate Tunas in August 2012.
The Project contributed to improving the quality and quantity of the statistics available at the IOTC, including better catch and effort and size data in conjunction with port sampling activities under the Observer scheme.
In addition, the Project addressed recommendations for future cooperation with OFCF which may lead to significant improvements in the area of data collection, processing and reporting.
On numerous occasions, the IOTC Scientific Committee and other IOTC technical bodies stressed the importance of the activities initiated by the Project, noting that the information collected is of key importance for the assessments of some of the main IOTC stocks.
