For statistical purposes, nominal catches of aquatic animals and plants, taken in inland and marine waters or derived from aquaculture, for all kinds of commercial, industrial and subsistence purposes, are presented at either species, genus or family level in approximately 1250 statistical categories called "species items". In the "International Standard Statistical Classification of Aquatic Animals and Plants" (ISSCAAP), developed by FAO, these species are classified in 50 groups of species and 9 divisions.

Each species item is identified by means of the following descriptors:

a)	FAO English name
b)	FAO French name
c)	FAO Spanish name
d)	Scientific name
e)	Taxonomic code
f)	Inter-Agency 3-alpha identifier

The FAO English, French, Spanish and scientific names are subject to constant review and improvement.

Member agencies of the CWP have agreed to use these standard species names in statistical publications and questionnaires.

It should be noted that (a) it has not been possible to assign appropriate names in all three languages to all the species items, and (b) that these names may not correspond with nationally or regionally-used common names.

The names selected are considered to be appropriate to that species item and are unique to that item.

Where the species item refers to a single species the name is in the singular.

Where two or more species are present, the name is in the plural form.

The "Inter-Agency 3-Alpha Identifier" for aquatic animals and plants was developed by the CWP for tabulations, questionnaires and publications where lack of space might prevent the use of adequate descriptors in all the languages required. A 3-alpha identifier is assigned permanently to a species item, and thus, unlike the other identifiers mentioned above, it remains a permanent reference to that species item. In principle, the above identifiers are only issued for species of commercial significance. FAO is the depository agency for the 3-alpha identifiers and it is to FAO that requests for any information on the identifiers and requests for the allocation of an identifier for a new species should be addressed.

The CWP welcomes these identifiers to be used wherever an authority, national, international or other, considers them useful for their purposes. However, in order not to jeopardise the integrity and security of the system of identifiers that proves to be of great value, the CWP firmly recommends that all potential users consult with FAO in order to avoid using an identifier that is not in the current list.

Annex S I: the list of the 9 divisions and 50 groups of species as found in the International Standard Statistical Classification of Aquatic Animals and Plants (ISSCAAP), used up to 1999.

Annex S II: the revised list of the 9 divisions and 50 groups of species as found in the International Standard Statistical Classification of Aquatic Animals and Plants (ISSCAAP), in use from 2000.

Note

At the 19th Session of the Coordinating Working Party of Fishery Statistics - CWP (Nouméa, New Caledonia, 10-13 July 2001), FAO-FIES presented a proposal to revise the names and composition of ISSCAAP fish groups 33, 34 and 37 with the aim of providing to the users a new useful grouping of coastal fishes and better identification of demersal and pelagic species.

The proposal was endorsed by CWP and implemented in the Yearbook of Fishery Statistics starting with volumes 90/1 and 90/2 (2001).

In the new classification the species items of the former group 33 "Redfishes, basses, congers" were classified as either coastal or demersal fishes and accordingly assigned to the new groups 33 "Miscellaneous coastal fishes" and 34 "Miscellaneous demersal fishes". The pelagic species, formerly included in Group 34 "Jacks, mullets, sauries", were moved to group 37, which was renamed "Miscellaneous pelagic fishes".
The complete list is downloadable at: ASFIS List of Species for Fishery Statistics Purposes.

Bibliography