118. The Consultation noted that there had been a high degree of compatibility among the reports of the three Working Groups. This was seen as a very positive outcome.
119. It was stressed that data collection is a matter of crucial importance both for scientific purposes (see the report of Working Group B) and for monitoring, control and surveillance (see the report of Working Group C). Obtaining reliable data from commercial fleets was cited as an example of strong common interest for parties involved in the management of shared fish stocks. It was suggested that possible synergies should be more systematically taken advantage of. However, such efforts should not put at risk the collection of independent information for scientific purposes.
120. A further observation was that there did not appear to be a strong correlation between the sophistication of a sharing mechanism and the health of fish stocks. It was noted that cooperation was a prerequisite for effective management of shared stocks, but that, in the absence of the implementation of conservation and management measures, improved stock status could not be assured. Thus, cooperation is to be seen as a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for effective resource management.
