E - Iccat

ICCAT REPORT 2002-2003 (II)
recommendations highlighted in the SCRS Report, the SCRS Chairman did note that if the research
recommendations are to be carried out, this will mean an increased workload for both national scientists and the
Secretariat. Dr. Pereira made a plea to Commissioners to provide the necessary financial and human resources to
do the work. He also emphasized that the Commission should facilitate scientists in accessing the necessary data.
Dr. Pereira also noted that the SCRS has prepared several responses to the Commission’s requests on the topics
of swordfish stock structure, Japanese catch and discards, and the impact of the moratorium on tropical tuna
stocks.
The Delegate of Canada remarked on the broad problems with data quality and timeliness of submission, which
sometimes results in the inability to conduct assessments, and noted that these are issues with which the
Commission must deal. He also referred to the concept of precaution −the more uncertain we are, the more
cautious we should be− and noted that the Commission seems to be doing the opposite. The Delegate of Canada
suggested that the Commission revisit the principle of precaution, given the increased level of uncertainty in data
and assessments.
The Delegate of the European Community asked the SCRS Chairman how the SCRS has adapted its working
methods to the work of the Commission, remarking that the SCRS should concentrate more on stocks for which
the Commission needs advice. The SCRS Chairman reviewed the criteria used by the SCRS to establish its work
plan for the coming years. The maximum number of assessments per year should not exceed five, given that the
preparatory work required for assessments both by scientists and the Secretariat is substantial, and that some
scientists are involved in more than one stock assessment. In addition, the SCRS considers the Commission’s
Recommendations and Resolutions, and the SCRS has followed the Commission’s requests. The SCRS also tries
to fit in little-studied species (e.g., skipjack). In some cases, the SCRS has been unable to do an assessment
because no data are available, and therefore data preparatory meetings are also scheduled (e.g., East Atlantic
bluefin tuna). The Commission Chairman agreed to review the timing of assessments, and the timing of data
submission in relation to the assessment schedule.
The Delegate of the EC also noted the number of proposals in the SCRS Report that required additional funding
(e.g., the proposal for enhancing the current Bluefin Year Program). He noted that the unhealthy financial
situation of the Commission does not lend itself to supporting such ambitious programs with the current
resources. The SCRS Chairman responded that the proposal for the enhancement of the bluefin tuna research
was directed at helping the Commission fulfill its objectives as stated in Recommendation by ICCAT to Establish
a Working Group to Develop Integrated and Coordinated Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Management Strategies [Ref.
02-11]. Dr. Pereira noted that there is a need to improve the research and knowledge to answer many of the
Commission’s questions, but that the current level of research funding by the Commission is very low so that
one cannot expect answers to very important problems. The Commission Chairman requested that discussions of
finance be taken up in STACFAD.
During the Final Plenary Session, the Commission Chairman noted that the SCRS Report was adopted by the
Commission by consensus.
9.2 Data Workshop
An overview of the outcome of the Data Workshop (ANNEX 4.3), which was held in Madrid immediately after
the 2003 SCRS, was also presented by the SCRS Chairman, who chaired the Data Workshop.
Dr. Pereira began his presentation by noting that the participation in the meeting was very low. He then went
through the series of recommendations made by the Data Workshop. There are strong concerns about the quality
of the data, missing data and under-reporting, poor sampling coverage, a paucity of size data for many species,
and late submission of data. In addition, the Workshop noted that some countries lack the capacity to collect
statistics and/or send scientists to ICCAT scientific meetings. There are a series of recommendations by the
Workshop to improve data reporting, including help with training of scientists or technicians. As regards the
trade data collected by ICCAT, there is almost no validation process in ICCAT to check if there is doublereporting.
Dr. Pereira drew attention to the recommendations by the Workshop for the improvement of the
Statistical Documents. The Workshop had several recommendations to address capacity-building, including
support for the concept of re-establishing the ICCAT Port Sampling Program.
Several delegations noted the importance of the topic of the Data Workshop and its fundamental concern to
ICCAT. There was concern that while the topic appeared on several agendas, the issues should not be dispersed.
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