REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH ... - Iccat

SCRS PLENARY SESSIONS 9 to 179.9 Sharks Stock Assessment SessionThe ICCAT stock assessment on blue and shortfin mako sharks was carried out in Madrid, September 1 to 5,2008, with the participation of more than 30 scientists. An Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) was also carriedout for nine additional species for which available data are very limited. Although this analysis does notsubstitute the assessment methods used in fisheries, it allows determining the priority levels for research,conservation and management.Document SCRS/2008/017 contains the detailed report of the meeting.10. Report of Special Research Programs10.1 Bluefin Year Program (BYP)Dr. N. Miyabe, Program Coordinator for the West Atlantic and Mr. J.M. de la Serna, Program Coordinator forthe East Atlantic, presented the report on the Bluefin Year Program (BYP) activities carried out in 2007 and2008 and the research plan and the corresponding budget for 2009.The report was adopted and is attached as Appendix 6.10.2 Enhanced Research Program for BillfishThe report of the Program for Enhanced Research on Billfish, together with the proposed budget for 2009, waspresented by the Program Coordinator.The report was adopted and is attached as Appendix 7.10.3 Requests for funding possibilitiesThe Committee was informed on the existing procedures for request financial support to the different ICCATprograms and other funding sources. The SCRS considered helpful establishing a standard form for requests offinancial support to the ICCAT programs that support data collection, capacity building, participation at ICCATmeetings, fishery analysis and biological research. This format would provide information so that the SCRSchairman and the advisory/coordination committees responsible of assigning funds from these programs canimprove their decisions on fund allocations. Furthermore the format will encourage SCRS oversight and promotecoordination and prioritization of funding requests. The one-page form should include, at a minimum:• person/institution proposing the activity• Short description of the activity proposed for funding,• Links of the proposed activity to the work plan of the appropriate species group/committee,• Program(s) that may be considered for financial support,• List of expected outputs from the activity,• Start and end date of activity,• Budget.• Description of how the information collected will be reported to ICCAT and disseminated.This proposed format should only be considered as an expression of interest. Each ICCAT funding program maychoose to require a more detailed proposal before it approves funding of the activity.These requests and subsequent review procedures should be coordinated by the Secretariat.11. Report of the Sub-Committee on StatisticsThe recommendations that are pertinent to this Sub-Committee are listed under Agenda item 14 of this Reportand in the Report of the Sub-Committee on Statistics, which is attached as Appendix 8.155