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

WORK PLANS FOR 2009Sharks Work PlanBackgroundIn the assessment meeting held in September 2008, some of the problems that were already discussed in the2004 assessment meeting and the data preparatory meeting in 2007 persisted. The missing total or partial data forTask I and Task II, lack of standardized CPUE series for some fleets as well as biological information producedgreat uncertainty in the assessment. Besides these problems was the non participation of scientists of some of theParties which have important catches of these species. This situation does not only occur for this group andraises a problem which should be resolved through a solid commitment on behalf of Parties.Proposed workDevelop standardized CPUE series for future assessments, for as many species as possible, for all major fleetsthat exploit North and South Atlantic shark species, as either target or by-catch. For this purpose, generatingcollaboration among Parties would result in the exchange of knowledge, encouraging agreements or specificprojects, which could be financed by the ICCAT funds for capacity building.Develop a more extensive and improved database for updating the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)conducted in 2008. In this regard, researchers are encouraged to conduct studies on the life history of sharkspecies and provide available information in their countries for incorporation in future assessments. Informationon fishing operations, status, disposition (fate) and size of the animals caught (collected in observer programs) isneeded to estimate susceptibility and thus produce fleet-specific ERAs.The species that should be inserted in the guide were identified and the development of the guide is foreseen inthe first half of 2009.Considering the Commission’s request, a proposal is presented to assess the North Atlantic porbeagle stocksjointly with ICES. Task I and Task II information from all the Parties, as well as standardized CPUE series forthis species, should be made available as soon as possible.There is a need to obtain CPUE time-series and other fishery-independent information to determine whether theassessments conducted using fishery-dependent data only are correct.Electronic tagging programs for shark stocks should be initiated or encouraged to obtain fishery-independentdata and information related to habitat.195