Full Accounting for Catches

1
Full Accounting for Catches

• An increasing necessity for sustainable fisheries
  management

2
The Issue

• Accurate catch reporting is
• A core element of sustainable fisheries
  management.
• Necessary for demonstrating compliance with
  various international commitments.
• An area of interest to Canada we will work with
  all interested parties on this pillar of
  sustainability.

3
Some Domestic Requirements

• Need for reliable and timely recording of all
  species and areas
• Coverage of all fisheries
• Full accounting targeted catch, by-catch, and
  discards (including Species at Risk and species
  of no commercial value )
• Need for a diversity of monitoring tools
• Vessel monitoring systems (VMS),
• Dockside monitoring port inspections programs,
• At-sea observer programs, and
• Electronic Monitoring and electronic logs
  (E-logs)

4
Some Canadian Experiences

• British Columbia Groundfish fisheries 2006
  Commercial Groundfish Integration Program.
• 2) Georges Bank Canada-US cooperation in the
  management of cod, haddock and yellowtail
  flounder stocks.

5
Pacific Commercial Groundfish Integration Program

• 2006 implementation of the Commercial Groundfish
  Integration Pilot Program in the Pacific region
• Covers more than 60 different stocks of
  groundfish
• Consolidation of management plans of 6 fisheries
  into 1
• Individual Quotas (IQs) in all fisheries
• Individual vessel accountable for all catches
  (mortality)
• Individual quota trading between vessels and
  fisheries
• 100 at-sea monitoring

6
Audit-Based Monitoring

• Combination of log books / camera coverage /
  dockside monitoring
• Log books and catches monitored using the camera
  footage.
• For discrepancies, additional camera footage
  reviews incremental costs to fishers.

7
Benefits and Challenges of the Program

• Improved data collection
• Provides state-of-the-art monitoring to help
  ensure that conservation objectives are met
  harvests remain within TACs closed areas are
  protected.
• Main challenges are
• Cost to harvesters,
• Development of new management system

8
Another Example Atlantic Coast

• Georges Bank Canadian and U.S. cooperation
• Jointly assessing and managing cod, haddock and
  yellowtail flounder
• Agreement to account for all removals of
  directed fisheries and any other fishery that may
  take these species as bycatch/discard
• extensive observer coverage

9
Conclusion

• Catch reporting is a key element of sustainable
  fisheries management.
• Effective reporting alone might not guarantee
  sustainability, but is a necessary condition for
  it.
• With sound data we enable ourselves to make
  better decisions for the long-term sustainability
  of the fish stocks