Report of the Ninth Session of the IOTC Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics

The Ninth Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC) Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS) was held in Busan, Rep. of Korea, from 29 to 30 November 2013. A total of 23 participants attended the Session. The following are a subset of the complete recommendations from the WPDCS09 to the Scientific Committee, which are provided at Appendix VI. The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that the IOTC Scientific Committee considers to propose amendments to IOTC Resolution 10/02 to the Commission. (WPDCS09.01 (para. 14)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that the total number of days-at-sea covered by observers versus the total number of days-at-sea for each fleet over a year is used to estimate levels of coverage by observers under the Regional Observer Scheme, instead of the number of trips. (WPDCS09.02 (para. 15)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that India reports a revised time-series of catch and effort for its longline fleet to the IOTC. (WPDCS09.04 (para. 25)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that Iran reports the available series of catch and effort data for its fisheries as a matter of priority. (WPDCS09.05 (para. 29)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that the IOTC Secretariat considers funding scientists and statistical officers from non IOC countries to the IOC-SmartFish funded regional Workshop to understand the IOTC Data Requirements, in particular scientists and statistical officers from Iran, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. (WPDCS09.06 (para. 31) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that joint work on the documentation of procedures for the collection, processing and reporting of size frequency data continues, based on a template produced by the IOTC Secretariat. (WPDCS09.07 (para. 41)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that the Commission considers funding of future activities under the Regional Observer Scheme, by allocating specific funds to the implementation of capacity building activities in developing coastal countries of the IOTC Region. (WPDCS09.08 (para. 54)) The WPDCS NOTED that Maldives is working with the IOTC Secretariat in the estimation of ratios of catch yellowfin tuna:bigeye tuna for its fisheries, and RECOMMENDED that Maldives finalizes this work as soon as possible and reports a new series of catch to the IOTC and the results of this analysis to the next Meeting of the WPDCS and WPTT. (WPDCS09.09 (para. 59)) The WPDCS AGREED on the need to select a set of official equations to be used in the preparation of input files for the assessments of stocks of IOTC species and sharks, or other procedures used on those assessments and RECOMMENDED that document IOTC–2013–WPDCS09–13 Rev_1 is forwarded to the Working Parties concerned for further consideration. The WPDCS further RECOMMENDED that, where possible, the Working Parties contemplate the use of keys to convert from non-standard measurements to standard measurements over deterministic methods. (WPDCS09.10 (para. 67)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that the IOTC Secretariat creates a template, preferably using MS Excel, to facilitate reporting of the Observer Trip Reports, and makes it available through the IOTC Web Page. (WPDCS09.11 (para. 68)) The WPDCS NOTED the plans from the IOTC Secretariat to resume publication of the IOTC Data Summary in electronic form and RECOMMENDED that the IOTC Secretariat carries out this work during 2014 and presents the new Web based system to the next meeting of the WPDCS. (WPDCS09.12 (para. 69)) The WPDCS RECOMMENDED that the Scientific Committee note the new Chairperson, Dr Emmanuel Chassot (EU-France), of the WPDCS for the next biennium. (WPDCS09.13 (para. 72))