Best standards for data collection and reporting requirements on FOBs: towards a science-based FOB fishery management.

A major concern for tropical tunas, on these last years, has been the worldwide increasing use of drifting FOBs by purse seiners, which are equipped with satellite buoys and echo-sounders. The use of these floating objects has contributed to increase the catch of skipjack tuna, but also of juveniles of yellowfin and bigeye tunas. Moreover, it has increased the amount of by-catch (including some species classified as vulnerable or endangered) and has likely resulted in adverse effects on the ecology of fish and on vulnerable areas (e.g. beaching events on coral reef areas). Despite the increasing FOB use and concerns, little information is available on FOB use worldwide for an appropriate monitoring and management. Thus, FOB monitoring has become a priority in all tuna t-RFMOs. However, the data collection and reporting requirements around FOBs are not standardized and there are significant data gaps. The aim of this document is to review current requirements and procedures in place and propose standards for data collection and submission on FOBs to tRFMOs. The proposals included in this document are the result of a collaborative work between scientists and the fishing industry

Statistics of the european and associated purse seine and baitboat fleets, in the Atlantic Ocean (1991-2017)

The document presents an overall summary of the fishing activities of the European and assimilated purse seine and bait boat fleets operating in the eastern Atlantic Ocean over the period 1991-2017. We describe the annual changes in fleet technical characteristics (carrying capacity, size), fishing effort (fishing and searching days), extent of fishing grounds, catches and nominal Catch per Unit Effort by species, as well as the average individual weight by species. Maps are also presented indicating the fishing effort distribution in the Atlantic, as well as the spatio-temporal distribution of European and assimilated purse seine catches in 2017 compared to previous years (2010-2016)

Statistics of the european and associated purse seine and baitboat fleets,in the Atlantic Ocean (1991-2018)

The document presents an overallsummary of the fishing activities of the European and assimilated purse seineand bait boatfleetsoperating in the eastern Atlantic Ocean over the period 1991-2018. We describe the annual changes in fleet technical characteristics (carrying capacity, size), fishing effort (fishing and searching days), extent of fishing grounds, catchesand nominal Catch perUnit Effort by species, as well as the average individual weight by species. Maps are also presented indicating the fishing effortdistribution in the Atlantic, as well as the spatio-temporal distribution of European and assimilated purse seine catches in 2018