The meeting, initiated by ICCAT and supported by the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project implemented by FAO and funded by the GEF, brought together scientists from the five t-RFMOs and national experts. The goals of the meeting were to (1) establish a sustained dialogue across t-RFMOs on the issues of EAF and its implementation, (2) understand common challenges in its implementation and (3) identify case specific solutions.

24-27 January 2017, Wellington, New Zealand. The objective of the workshop was to advise on proposed studies of survival rates for promptly discarded sharks caught by WCPFC fisheries. These studies should assist in evaluating the effectiveness of WCPFC no-retention measures and in better estimating fishing mortality in assessments.

The report outlines the outcomes of the Chinese National Awareness workshop held on 10 December 2016, in Fiji. The main outcomes are: to improve awareness of seabird bycatch and its mitigation; to build capacity of the national observer programme, government representatives and the fishing industry to effectively implement best practice seabird bycatch mitigation based on best practice in China.

The report outlines the outcomes of the Indonesian National Awareness workshop held in Bali on 23-24 November 2016. Main outcomes are: to improve awareness of seabird bycatch and its mitigation; to build capacity of the national observer programme, government representatives and the fishing industry to effectively implement best practice seabird bycatch mitigation based on best practice in Indonesia.

A series of two four-day workshops designed to conduct a joint-analysis of the effectiveness of sea turtle mitigation in Pacific longline fisheries were held in Honolulu, Hawaii in February and November 2016. These workshops were convened by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) with funding provided by the ABNJ (Common Oceans) Tuna project, and were attended by 38 participants from 16 countries with expertise in all three oceans, as well as invited IGOs and NGOs.