Trial Application of the BDEP Template for Summarizing Bycatch Data

The current paper responds to a recommendation from SC11 to undertake a trial use of the Bycatch Data Exchange Protocol. SPC has prepared and formatted the bycatch data it holds into the Bycatch Data Exchange Protocol for 2013-2015. This process has identified several issues to address, noting that for some of them solutions are already in progress. Specific recommendations include:
1. The BDEP trial has extended ongoing work to improve the utility and accessibility of observer data and supports requests from international organisations for summaries of species of special interest bycatch in the WCPO. Accordingly, the BDEP trial should continue for 2017 (subject to resourcing for any additions and changes to the data extraction developed under this project).
2. Estimating mortality rates for purse seine - information on the condition of the landed and released catch (e.g. CONDITION) collected by observers on the GEN-2 form needs to be linked to set information so that mortality/release rates can be calculated for purse seine. This recommendation has previously been agreed by the Commission (Anon, 2015b) and will be actioned in late 2016/early 2017. Note that retrospective analyses are still required to make the link for historical data.
3. Providing a table of observer effort by 5°x5° - SC12 to consider if this is required, and if so, to have this published on the WCPFC web site.
4. Where observer programmes do not provide distinct vessel names to identify trips seek advice from the respective CCMs on how to proceed with the filtering of the data according to the WCFPC data rules to ensure data that may not have been excluded under normal circumstances are available for future BDEP reports.
5. Review and update length-length and length-weight relationships for BDEP for species of special interest so that more accurate estimates of catch in both number and weight can be determined.
6. Update the BDEP protocol to report seabirds to the species level, where possible; this initiative should also include improvements to the species guides for observers and identification at sea to ensure higher quality data are available for reporting.
7. Expand the BDEP protocol to marine mammals to the species level, where possible.
8. In future, the BDEP tables be published as public domain information on the WCPFC web site (at http://www.wcpfc.int/tuna-fishery-data) and any developments with the BDEP tables would be addressed within the annual generic paper on data gaps and related issues.
9. Subject to resourcing, to undertake a trial regional BDEP compilation for purse seine at the scale of the Pacific Ocean, in co-operation with the IATTC and CCSBT Secretariats. In summary, SPC and the ABNJ-GEF Tuna Project recommend that this work be continued and resourced as a positive step toward improving the quality of and access to bycatch data within and across RFMOs.