WCPFC fisheries summary

The WCPFC have compiled a public domain version of aggregated catch and effort data using operational, aggregate and annual catch estimates data provided by Commission Members (CCMs) and Cooperating Non-members (CNMs). The data provided herein have been prepared for dissemination in accordance with the current Rules and Procedures for the Protection, Ac- cess to, and Dissemination of Data Compiled by the Commission or (RAP). Paragraph 9 of the Rules and Procedures indicates that ”Catch and Effort data in the public domain shall be made up of observations from a minimum of three vessels”. However, the majority of aggregate data provided to WPCFC do not indicate how many vessels were active in each cell of data which would allow data to be directly filtered according to this rule. Instead, the individual cells where ”effort” is less than or equal to the maximum value estimated to represent the activities of two vessels have been removed from the public domain data. Statistics showing how much data have been removed according to this RAP requirement are provided in the documentation for the longline and purse seine public domain data. All public domain data have been aggregated by year/month and 5x5 grid. Annex 2 of the RAP indicates that public domain aggregated catch/effort data can be made available at a higher resolution (e.g. data with a breakdown by vessel nation, and aggregated by 1x1 grids for surface fisheries); however, if the public domain data were provided at these higher levels of resolution implementation of the RAP ”three-vessel rule” with the current aggregate data set would result in too many cells being removed. Records are for Albacore, Yellowfin, Bigeye, Striped Marlin, Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Swordfish and SkipJack Tuna. The data is summarised for Tuna, Marlin, Swordfish and other species and mapped by the catch per hook for each species group, averaged annually.