1. SESSION 5.4 Consequences for scientific data collection/management as a result of recent WCPFC decisions
Sixth Tuna Data Workshop (TDW-6) April 2012 SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia

2. Outline Recap of 2008/2009 decisions relating to scientific data
CMM
CMM
CMM
CMM
CMM
Review of 2010 decisions relating to scientific data
CMM
CMM
CMM (replaces CMM )
CMM
“Scientific data to be provided to the Commission”
Compliance Monitoring Reports
(as per slide)

3. Recap on 2008/2009 WCPFC decisions that have some consequences to data collection/management
CMM Conservation and Management Measure for Bigeye and Yellowfin Tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean
CMM Conservation and Management Measure on the Application of High Seas FAD Closures and Catch Retention
CMM Conservation and Management Measure on Regulation of Transhipment
CMM Charter Notification Scheme
CMM Conservation and Management Measure to Monitor Landings of Purse Seiners at Ports so as to Ensure Reliable Catch Data by Species
(as per slide)

4. CMM Conservation and Management Measure for Bigeye and Yellowfin Tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean
The objectives of this measure are to ...
“ ...Ensure through the implementation of compatible measures ... that bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks are maintained at levels capable of producing their maximum sustainable yield .... commencing in 2009, a minimum of 30% reduction in bigeye tuna fishing mortality from the annual average during the period or ”
Draft Decisions at WCFPC8 were made to extend CMM into 2013 (CMM ?) , with some minor modifications/exemptions
Significant increase in observer data collection ...
100% coverage in the purse seine fishery (from 2010)
Observer Spill sampling : an important initiative to obtain reliable purse-seine bigeye catch estimates (related to CMM )
DATA PROVISION : reference to “Scientific Data to be Provided to the Commission” (Para. 40)
PORT CONTROLS : Monitoring shall be conducted at landing and transshipping ports to assess the amount of catch by species (Para. 43)
(as per slide)

5. CMM Conservation and Management Measure on the Application of High Seas FAD Closures and Catch Retention
The objectives of this Measure are:
to ensure consistent and robust application of FAD closures and catch retention in the high seas between 20°S and 20°N through the specification of minimum standards.
to apply high standards to the application of the FAD closure and catch retention in order to remove any possibility for the targeting of aggregated fish, or the discard of small fish.
Monitoring / Data Collection
...Fish shall not be discarded from the vessel until after an observer has estimated the species composition of the fish to be discarded...
...The operator of the vessel shall submit to the Executive Director a report [of relevant discard data] within forty-eight 48 hours after any discard ...
....The operator of the vessel shall also provide a hard copy of the information described [above] to the WCPFC Observer on board...
(as per slide)
Information received by WCPFC Secretariat; not used for science at this stage.
The regional standard forms already cater for the required observer data collection …

6. More information covered in Agenda Item 5.5
CMM Conservation and Management Measure on Regulation of Transhipment
The objective of this measure is, inter alia,
...to establish procedures to obtain and verify data on the quantity and species transhipped in the Convention Area to ensure accurate reporting of catches, and enhance stock assessments of highly migratory fish stocks....
Para A WCPFC Transhipment Declaration, including the information set out in Annex I shall be completed by both the offloading and receiving vessel for each transhipment in the Convention Area, and each transhipment of catch taken in the Convention Area ....
Para CCMs shall report on all transhipment activities covered by this Measure (including transhipment activities that occur in ports or EEZs) as part of their Annual Report in accordance with the guidelines at Annex II...
Annexes provide the detail of what data needs to be provided ...
Also, mention of the requirement for observer verification in this context...
(as per slide)
Regional SPC/FFA forms cater for the requirements of this CMM, but WCPFC has also suggested a form which are regularly provided to WCPFC Sec.
Needs more work …
More information covered in Agenda Item 5.5

7. CMM 2009-08 Charter Notification
This CMM stipulates a set of procedures for charter vessel notification ...
With respect to data, future work will look at, inter alia, ... the development of a broader framework this work shall cover the issues of attribution of catch and effort by chartered vessels ...
...essentially providing guidelines for changing the nationality attributed to the catch and effort data in regional and national databases ...
At this stage, there are no requirements for changes to data collection for this CMM, but countries will need to include the foreign-charter vessels in their “national fleet” in TUFMAN.
Your country should consider notification of charter arrangements according to the guidelines in this CMM, if they exist.
Unless the WCPFC Secretariat has been notified of charter arrangements, the catch attribution to chartered vessels will not be undertaken.
(as per slide)

8. CMM 2009-08 Charter Notification
(as per slide)

9. CMM Conservation and Management Measure to Monitor Landings of Purse Seiners at Ports so as to Ensure Reliable Catch Data by Species
This CMM’s objectives are primarily related to improving information on the purse-seine catch of bigeye which is related to CMM
.. at this stage, the directive is specific and related to monitoring of the Thai canneries ...
“The Commission and the CCMs concerned shall work together to establish in 2010 an arrangement with a Non-CCM to enable collection of species and size composition data from canneries in the Non-CCM regarding purse seine catch in the Convention area. The progress shall be reported to the Commission.”
However, there may be a new protocol for this type data collection to be established in the future ...
No new requirements for data collection at this stage...
(as per slide)

10. Review of 2010 decisions that have some consequences to data collection/management
CMM Conservation and Management Measure for North Pacific Striped Marlin
CMM Conservation and Management Measure for Pacific Bluefin Tuna
CMM Conservation and Management Measure for South Pacific Albacore
CMM Conservation and Management for Sharks
(as per slide)

11. CMM 2010-01 Conservation and Management Measure for North Pacific Striped Marlin
“This Measure shall apply in high seas and EEZs within the convention area north of the equator.”
“By 30 April 2011, each flag/chartering CCM shall report to the Commission verifiable information regarding its catch of North Pacific Striped Marlin by its flagged/chartered vessels north of the equator.”
Only very rare catches from SPC/FFA member countries
SPC/FFA member obligations …
Usually provided as Annual catch estimates for the WCPFC Area north of the equator
Usually included in Logsheet data …
(as per slide)

12. CMM 2010-04 Conservation and Management Measure for Pacific Bluefin Tuna
“CCMs shall also take measures necessary to strengthen data collecting system for Pacific bluefin tuna fisheries in order to improve the data quality and timeliness of all the data reporting;.”
Only very rare catches from SPC/FFA member countries
SPC/FFA member obligations …
Usually provided as Annual catch estimates for the WCPFC Area north of the equator
Usually included in Logsheet data …
(as per slide)

13. CMM 2010-05 Conservation and Management Measure for South Pacific Albacore
Replaces CMM …
“CCMs shall report annually to the Commission the catch levels of their fishing vessels that have taken South Pacific Albacore as a bycatch as well as the number and catch levels of vessels actively fishing for South Pacific albacore in the Convention area south of 20o S. Initially this information will be provided for the period and then updated annually.;.”
SPC/FFA member obligations …
Albacore catch estimates for the WCPFC Area south of the equator, regardless of being a target or a bycatch…
.. but albacore catch report for this CMM is for SOUTH of 20°S – inconsistent with Annual catch estimates
… most PICTs do not fish SOUTH of 20°S …
In any event, can be obtained from Logsheet data …
(as per slide)

14. CMM 2010-07 Conservation and Management for Sharks
Replaces CMM
...Each CCM shall include key shark species2 in their annual reporting to the Commission of annual catch and fishing effort statistics by gear type, including available historical data, in accordance with the WCPF Convention and agreed reporting procedures. CCMs shall also report annual retained and discarded catches in Part 2 of their annual report....
The key shark species are blue shark, silky shark, oceanic whitetip shark, mako sharks, thresher sharks, porbeagle (south of 20°S) and hammerhead sharks (winghead, scalloped, great and smooth).
Consequences
New regional standard longline logsheet to better cater for the reporting of shark at the species level...
Reliance on observer data for shark species catch estimation
...Also, monitoring of shark fins ratio to total shark weight by observers is mentioned in this CMM, but the data collection mechanism is yet to be established ...
Countries should consider implementing the new regional longline logsheet …
(as per slide)

15. CMM 2010-07 Conservation and Management for Sharks
New regional standard longline logsheet to support recording shark catch by species
(as per slide)

16. AHTG-Data Group proposed amendment to
“Scientific Data to be Provided to the Commission”
Revised after decisions at the Seventh Regular Session of the WCPFC (WCPFC7 – December 2010) and in line with CMM …
“The following estimates of catches during each calendar year shall be provided to the Commission for each gear type: …
[catches of] blue shark, silky shark, oceanic whitetip shark, mako sharks, thresher sharks, porbeagle shark (south of 20°S…) and hammerhead sharks (winghead, scalloped, great, and smooth). …”
Also a requirement to include catches of these shark species in the OPERATIONAL and AGGREGATE Catch/Effort data provisions…
As such, Countries should consider implementing the new regional longline logsheet …
(as per slide)

17. WCPFC Science Data Holdings
COMPLIANCE MONITORING OF DATA
WCPFC Regular Session
December
Scientific data provision
30th April
Scientific Committee (SC) – Data Gaps
August
CMM
30th April
CMM
30th April
CMM
30th April
CMM
30th April
CMM
Quarterly basis
Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC)
October
CMM Data Reporting
Various reporting deadlines
WCPFC Science Data Holdings
CCM Compliance Monitoring Report
(as per slide)
WCPFC Annual Report – Part 1
One month before SC
WCPFC Annual Report – Part 2
One month before TCC
WCFPC Secretariat and Compliance Monitoring Sub Committee

18. DISCUSSION
Do you have charter vessels but have yet to formally notify the WCPFC ?
Have you implemented or intend to implement the new “Expanded” Longline Logsheet to better report shark species catches ?
Review of Scientific data and CMM data reporting compliance - Do you have problems ?
Transhippment data collection ? To be reviewed in Agenda Item 5.5
Status of implementing Spill Sampling (to be reviewed in Agenda Item 7.1)
(as per slide)