The report describes the work, discussions and training activities generated during the two sessions of the workshop on Shark Data Collection: 1) a review of shark data sampling methodologies applied in the EPO region; and 2) training on an MS-Access database developed by IATTC staff in collaboration with Central American nations. The workshop was attended by 18 participants, 17 from IATTC member countries and one representative from an NGO.

Report of the First Project Steering Committee: Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the ABNJ, Rome, Italy, June 11th, 2014.

FAO. 2014. Report of the Inception Workshop: Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the ABNJ, Rome, Italy, 10–12 March 2014. Rome. 35 pp.

Official representatives from 18 countries participated in the first two workshops (22-24 April 2014) under the framework of the project "Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)".

This Project, “Sustainable Management of Tuna Fisheries and Biodiversity Conservation in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”, is a critical component of the overall GEF supported ABNJ Program “ABNJ Global Sustainable Fisheries Management and Biodiversity Conservation in the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction”. It offers a unique opportunity for GEF and FAO and their associated partners to fast track the development, management and sustainability of ABNJ fisheries and biodiversity conservation and to make vital and urgently needed progress in strengthening responsible fisheries management and practices in these fisheries. Without the Project, the current inconsistencies in management, high levels of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and threats to biodiversity from current fishing practices would likely continue with increasingly negative impacts on the tuna stocks and marine biodiversity and with ensuing damage to the wellbeing of the millions of people directly and indirectly dependent on these resources for their livelihoods.