June 2018 No Images? Click here Newsletter of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Secretariat for members, participating territories and observers.
Executive Director, Feleti P Teo, OBE Welcome to the second edition of the Secretariat Quarterly for 2018, the e-newsletter that updates you on news on the Commission and the work of the Commission Secretariat. It is June already and as far as the Commission calendar goes, the remainder of the year will be very congested with all the regular meetings of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies occurring in the second half of the year. As recently advised, there has been a change to the venue and dates for the annual WCPFC15 meeting which will now be held at the Honolulu Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii from 10th to 14th December 2018. Details of meeting arrangements in Honolulu will be advised by the Secretariat in due course once they are confirmed. As noted below, preparations for the meetings of the Commission’s subsidiary bodies are progressing well and will intensify as their meeting dates draw closer. The intersessional work programme for the remainder of the year is a heavy one with various intersessional working groups continuing to progress their mandate and the Secretariat will provide regular updates of those work. For the last three months I had the opportunity to represent the Commission at several national, regional and international conferences. The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) had the rare opportunity to convene its biennial FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific in the Pacific. The meeting was held in Fiji from 9 to 13 April. The meeting agenda was broad ranging but was useful to appreciate the role of effective fisheries management in regional and global efforts to address resources sustainability, food security and elimination of poverty and hunger. In May I attended two tuna conferences, the biennial INFOFISH tuna trade conference in Bangkok attended predominantly by tuna industry representatives and the 3rd Bali tuna conference. At the Bangkok meeting I highlighted in my presentation the fact that the four key commercial tuna stocks of bigeye, skipjack, south Pacific albacore and yellowfin in the western and central Pacific Ocean were assessed to be within sustainable level, a feat not matched by other tuna-regional fisheries management organization. WCPFC Executive Director Teo presenting at 15th INFOFISH World Tuna Trade Conference/TUNA 2018, Bangkok, Thailand, 28 May 2018. At the Bali tuna conference, I presented, as requested, the level of compliance by Indonesia of its obligations under the WCPFC Convention and conservation and management measures. The key message shared was that Indonesia initially had major challenges in meeting those obligations but with ongoing support through the WPEA project, Indonesia has made steady progress in complying with those obligations. WCPFC Executive Director Teo (front row mid-left) at the 3rd Bali Tuna Conference, Denpasar Bali, Indonesia, 1 Jun 2018. In May, I also attended the annual official meeting of the governing body of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The meeting considered amongst other issues matters that warrant transmission for consideration and decision at the annual ministerial meeting in July. As we enter the second and busy half of the year, your Secretariat remains ready to assist where possible with member reporting obligations and other requests for assistance. 2018 Draft Compliance Monitoring Report Preparations for the development of the draft Compliance Monitoring Report (CMR) are progressing well with the aim to have it issued by the deadline of Thursday, 2 August 2018. Members, cooperating non-members and participating territories (CCMs) have been informed of preliminary reporting gaps of their CMR reports. The content for the “Fished and Did Not Fish” Report and Annual Report Part 2 are due by Sunday, 1 July 2018 and Annual Report Part 1 is due by Monday, 9 July 2018. The Secretariat has regularly sent individual and collective reminders to CCMs and is grateful to those who have provided early submissions. CCMs that may require further assistance with their annual reporting and draft CMR reporting can contact directly the Secretariat Assistant Compliance Manager, ‘Ana F. Taholo (ana.taholo@wcpfc.int). The Secretariat is collaborating closely with the science services provider the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, (SPC) to provide a second round of updates to the online Compliance Case File system based on the latest WCPFC Regional Observer Programme data and CCMs will be informed once completed. The Secretariat regularly reviews the updates on investigations that CCMs enter into the online Compliance Case File system. CCMs that may need further assistance with the online Compliance Case File System can contact directly the Secretariat Compliance Manager, Lara Manarangi-Trott (lara.manarangi-trott@wcpfc.int). WCPFC Compliance Manager, Dr Lara Manarangi-Trott with FAO-hosted Coordinating Working Party ad-hoc Task Group at the Technical workshop on global harmonization of Tuna fisheries statistics, Rome, Italy, 22 Mar 2018. Updates on Other Compliance ActivitiesWith the upcoming meetings of the Intersessional Working Group on Electronic Reporting and Electronic Monitoring (ERandEM) in Busan, South Korea on 6 to 7 August and the Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) meeting from 26 September to 2 October, in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, the staff of the Compliance Programme have been fully occupied with meeting preparations which are tracking well. The meeting agendas should be posted shortly if not done so before the distribution of this newsletter. Other dedicated and ongoing compliance activities of the Secretariat in the second quarter of the year include: · completion of routine audits for the observer programmes of Japan, New Zealand, Portugal and Parties to Nauru Agreement (PNA) Observer Agency; · providing regular support to CCMs in relation to compilation of Annual Reports and Compliance Case assistance as requested; · providing regular support to flag CCMs in relation to the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) reporting status of their vessels through their CCMs portal on the website and any flag CCMs need further assistance may contact the Secretariat VMS Manager, Albert Carlot (albert.carlot@wcpfc.int); · providing support to the Chairs of the Intersessional Working Groups for ERandEM and the Compliance Monitoring Scheme (CMS); · providing input to the work of the various Intersessional Working Groups on Sharks; TCC- Observer-related issues; the Special Requirements Fund; and Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) Management Options; · progressed according to schedule and agreed milestones the WCPFC Transhipment E-reporting system project, with partial in-kind support from the New Zealand (NZ) Ministry of Primary Industries with an updated report to be provided to the meeting of the ERandEM working Group in Busan, South Korea in August; · attendance in support of CCMs or contributing directly to various national, sub-regional, regional and international meetings as follow: o FFA-hosted Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Working Group including CCM Annual Report Part 2 assistance, Honiara, Solomon Islands, March: (Assistant Compliance Manager, ‘Ana Taholo) o FAO-hosted Coordinating Working Party (CWP) ad-hoc Task Group on “Reference harmonization for capture fisheries and aquaculture” Technical workshop on global harmonization of Tuna fisheries statistics, Rome, Italy, March (Compliance Manager, Lara Manarangi-Trott); o Philippines National Observer Programme training in April in Manila, Philippines: (Regional Observer Programme (ROP) Coordinator, Karl Staisch); o SPC-hosted Tuna Data Workshop including CCM Annual Report Part 1 assistance, Noumea, New Caledonia, April: (Assistant Compliance Manager, ‘Ana Taholo); o National VMS training and audit inspections – China (VMS Manager, Albert Carlot); o WCPFC-IATTC Cross-endorsement training in early June in Solomon Islands: (ROP Coordinator, Karl Staisch); o National Annual Reporting and Compliance Monitoring Report assistance – Kiribati (Assistant Compliance Manager, ‘Ana Taholo); o 9th International Fisheries Observer and Monitoring Conference, Spain, June: (Compliance Manager, Lara Manarangi-Trott and ROP Coordinator, Karl Staisch); and o FFA-hosted Compliance Monitoring Scheme Workshop, Auckland, June: (Compliance Manager, Lara Manarangi-Trott). WCPFC Regional Observer Program Coordinator, Karl Staisch at the completion of the Philippines observer course, Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Navotas Wharf Complex training Centre, Manila, Philippines, 25 Apr 2018. Science and Data ServicesThe work programme for the science services provider and data manager for the Commission for 2018 is encapsulated in the agreement signed between the Commission and SPC. This includes a full assessment for the South Pacific albacore tuna stock; a revisit of the 2017 western & central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) bigeye tuna stock assessment incorporating an updated growth data set; an evaluation of the impact of alternative spatial stratifications; and a revision of the bigeye tuna stock status metrics based on a new suite of models. SPC will also support the 14th Regular Session of the Scientific Committee (SC14) to undertake the activities specified in the Updated Harvest Strategy Workplan, including scientific support for recommendations on a South Pacific albacore target reference point and implementation of a roadmap for the south Pacific albacore conservation and management measure. A dedicated site on harvest strategy related information is on: https://www.wcpfc.int/harvest-strategy and a new webpage providing current stock status and management advice is on: https://www.wcpfc.int/current-stock-status-and-advice. SPC-Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP) convened the 10th Preparatory Workshop for the 2018 Stock Assessments at the Pacific Community Headquarters in Noumea, from 17 to 20 April. Key issues considered at the workshop related to catch per unit effort (CPUE) data analyses, biological assumptions, spatial structure, bigeye growth parameters, MULTIFAN-CL software update, and harvest strategy developments. Twenty scientists from sixteen organizations participated in the workshop. SPC also convened the 12th Regional Tuna Data Workshop from 23 to 27 April to review data collection system at regional level and to produce provisional national total tuna catch estimates. Representatives from most island countries and the WPEA project partners attended the workshop. Supported by the Common Oceans Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) Tuna Project, SPC also hosted a Workshop on WCPFC Bycatch Mitigation Problem-Solving from 28 to 30 May. The workshop introduced the Bycatch Management Information System (BMIS); how it can help address some of the bycatch issues facing the WCPFC; and capacity building to solve bycatch problems by using BMIS. The 14th Session of the Scientific Committee will be held in Busan, Korea, on 8-16 August. The meeting notice and agenda for the session are posted on WCPFC-SC14 website: https://www.wcpfc.int/meetings/14th-regular-session-scientific-committee WCPFC Assistant Compliance Manager, 'Ana Taholo with the 12th Regional Tuna Data Workshop participants at the Pacific Community Headquarters, Noumea, New Caledonia, 23 Apr 2018. West Pacific East Asia ProjectThe Secretariat continued to administer and implement several projects, including the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded WPEA project which terminates in April 2019. Final review workshops were convened in the Project Partner countries (Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam) to finalize consultancy reports on issues related to climate change impacts, reference points and harvest control rules, application of an EAFM, tuna supply chain and certification, review of national fishery legislation, etc. The continuing WPEA project for the improvement of tuna monitoring, funded by the government of New Zealand, is still in the process of national approval by the three countries. The ISC-hosted Pacific bluefin tuna management strategy evaluation workshop held in Yokohama, 30-31 May 2018. Northern Committee ActivitiesThe Northern Committee requested the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) to organize workshops in early 2018 and 2019 to develop guidelines for the Pacific bluefin tuna management strategy evaluation (PBF MSE). The guidelines may include identification of specific management objectives, level of risks and timelines. The first workshop was held in Yokohama, Japan, from 30 to 31 May 2018. The need for a PBF MSE and case studies on MSE application were introduced, and a preliminary discussion was made on the basic structure of PBF MSE, including operational objectives and performance indicators. The 14th Session of the Northern Committee will be held in Fukuoka, Japan, on 4-7 September and a Catch Documentation Schem (CDS) Technical Meeting will be on 3 September. The meeting notice and agenda for the session are posted on WCPFC-NC14 website: https://www.wcpfc.int/meetings/14th-regular-session-northern-committee We welcome new readers to Secretariat Quarterly. Just click the subscribe button and we'll add you to the recipients list.
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