Report of the Third Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission

Abstract

The Third Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) was held in Mahé, Seychelles, from 9 to 12 December 1998. The Commission approved participation in the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP). The Commission took note of the report of the Scientific Committee : in relation to the status of most stocks, this report underlined the inadequacy of present knowledge and the need for further research. The Commission decided unanimously that it would proceed, from now on, on a regular basis, to collect data on catches of non-target, associated and dependent species (NTADs). The Commission also decided that participation in the Working Parties should be open to interested and competent experts. The Commission endorsed the Scientific Committee’s recommendation that catch, effort and size data should be made available routinely to IOTC at the finest possible time and area resolution for stock assessment purposes. The Commission approved mandatory data reporting standards, recognising that these were minimum standards, as well as policy and procedures on data confidentiality. The Commission agreed to establish a permanent Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics, as well as of Working Parties on Tropical Tunas, Neritic Tunas and Billfish.....