Fishery Performance Indicators (FPIs) were developed to address gaps in data and information on fisheries worldwide and in recognition that to be successful with fisheries investment, development or conservation projects measurable outcomes are needed. The focus of the tool and its indicators is to evaluate the effectiveness of management systems in aligning ecosystem health and human well-being.

Information in this poster is based on the FAO Standard Specifications for theMarking and Identification of Fishing Vessels

The eighth session of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) was held in Merida, Mexico, on 3–4 November 2017. The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) hosted the session at the venue of its seventieth annual conference. The SAG discussed the outcomes of the work carried out by various joint working groups in 2016–2017 and their Recommendations to WECAFC 17. The SAG reviewed the status of the main fish stocks in Area 31 and discussed the impact of the increase in Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) fisheries on the current stock assessment methods used. The SAG further got updated on the functioning of the Interim Coordination Mechanism for Sustainable Fisheries, the WECAFC-FIRMS partnership and the activities of partner agencies in the region. A list of specific SAG Recommendations for the attention of WECAFC 17 is included in the preface of the report. The working documents used for the eight session of the SAG, including amongst others, a Review of the State of Fisheries in the WECAFC region, and a Desk Review of FADs fisheries development in the WECAFC region and the impact on stock assessments, are available here.

The First meeting of the WECAFC/OSPESCA/CRFM/CITES/CFMC working group on shark conservation and management was held in Barbados on 17-19 October 2017. The meeting brought together more than 30 shark fisheries experts, conservationists, marine biologists and fisheries officers from 15 WECAFC members, regional fisheries bodies, fisheries technical advisory institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.

The 2nd meeting of the Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, was held in Barbados in the period 19 - 21 September 2017. The Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (RWG-IUU) is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA).