Reporting of Data - Meeting Recommendations

110. Given the experience of management of fisheries for these deepwater species in other oceans of the world, i.e. the rapid depletion and commercial extirpation of many fisheries for these species, there is an urgent need to introduce effective management measures to prevent fisheries in the Southern Indian Ocean for these species from suffering the same fate.

111. The following measures should be taken at a minimum to implement effective management of these fisheries:

i.	Catch and effort data should be secured in appropriate detail by appropriate statistical areas. It should be noted that statistical areas might vary by species (Definitions of these areas were prepared by the meeting - see Figure 2).
ii.	Appropriate management areas should be used for each species. It was noted that management areas might vary by species.
iii.	Countries fishing in the area should take immediate management measures to control catch and/or effort for their nationals fishing in the area at levels no greater than current levels. (Note: The First Ad Hoc Meeting on Management of Demersal Fisheries Resources of the Southern Indian Ocean expressed concern that current levels of catch and effort may already exceed levels that will permit sustainable fisheries in the area.).
iv.	Measures should also be taken wherever possible to effectively control unreported and unregulated fishing.

112. The meeting identified various issues that would need addressing: These follow.

Strategic Issues

i.	Agreement on what “sustainability” will mean as an objective in a management context, especially for orange roughy and the associated bycatch species (mainly oreos^[8]) which are also long-lived.
ii.	Consideration and articulation of appropriate (and mutually acceptable) management objectives.
iii.	How to address the problem raised by unregulated and uncontrolled fishing, in the first instance obtaining data on the operations of such vessels.
iv.	The need to ensure that all countries that have their flag vessels operating in the study region participate in the managemement process.
v.	The issue of controlling catches and effort on the high-seas fisheries in the study region.

Operational Issues

i.	Consideration of the costs involved in managing fisheries that may exploit a large number of small discrete stocks and thus the implications for costs and benefits of management actions.
ii.	Consideration of the advice required by a decision-making body on the cost implications of undertaking stock assessments and attempting management actions.
iii.	Developing protocols for pooling data from different companies and countries that are acceptable to all involved in terms of operator confidentiality requirements.
iv.	Agreement on how to proceed with incomplete data sets in the provision of management advice in the context of an acceptably precautionary approach.
v.	Determination of recommendations for future biological research.
vi.	Documentation of Conversion Factors.

Research Activities

113. It was agreed that a common strategy was need for research activities and that the minimum research requirements be identified for management purposes; the ‘secretariat, should, as possible, take an initiative in developing this analysis and report back to a subsequent meeting.

114. The desirability of producing “information” sheets that document the characteristics of the fishery and which could form the basis of future stock status reports was discussed. It was agreed that such documents would be desirable and the NIWA would investigate the feasibility of their making use of existing material to produce them.

115. It was agreed that the results of this meeting and that of the preceding meeting held in Swakopmund, Namibia in 2001 were important and should be conveyed to relevant international fisheries bodies. One of these was COFI (FAO). It was also thought important that those involved in the consultation process regarding the establishment of a new fisheries commission for the region be advised of the groups deliberations, and particularly of the concerns of the group in the relation to the urgent need for management actions if the resources of the study area are to be managed so as to ensure sustainable fisheries.

116. The report of the Meeting was adopted on 24 May 2002. In closing the Meeting the Chairman thanked all those attending for their valuable contributions during the meeting and noted that good progress had been made towards identifying future activities that would support responsible fisheries management in the study area.

117. The Meeting expressed its thanks to the Chairman, Richard Tilzey, BRS, for guiding the work of the Meeting, to Ross Shotton, FAO, for his technical support and especially to Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Australia for hosting the Meeting and the highly satisfactory arrangements that had been provided.

^[8] See paragraph 13, page 3, FAO 2001. Report of the Ad Hoc Meeting on Management of Deepwater Fisheries Resources of The Southern Indian Ocean. FAO Fish. Rep. No. 652. FAO, Rome. 61pp.