SCIENTIFIC DATA AVAILABLE TO THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMISSION

This paper reports on the major developments over the past year with regard to filling gaps in the provision of scientific data to the Commission. All CCMs with fleets active in the WCPFC Convention Area provided 2013 annual catch estimates before the deadline. Estimates for the key shark species (which is in accordance with the change in the requirements to include the key shark species catches) continue to improve and the implementation of the new extended longline logsheets (which has the provision for reporting shark at the species level) is gradually progressing. In general, the timeliness of the provision of aggregate catch/effort data continues to improve with nearly all CCMs providing data by the deadline of 30th April 2014. The quality of aggregate data provided has also improved with a reduction in the number of notes assigned to the aggregate data in recent years. Aggregate data for the Japanese Coastal longline fleet (1994-2013) and operational data from the Vietnam longline fleet (2012-2013) were made available for the first time. Annual catch estimates by EEZ and high seas areas were provided by Japan (2008-2013) and Chinese Taipei (2011-2013) for the first time. Japan also provided vessel numbers in their aggregate data (2008-2013) covering their longline (distant-water), poleand-line and purse seine fleets for the first time