The ICCAT Meta-database: current status, future developments and dissemination

In order to improve and better coordinate the knowledge and information available for bycatch species, the ICCAT Meta-database was developed in 2010. The Meta-database was populated with information regarding bycatch species contained within the ICCAT collected volumes as well as the ASFA database. The information in the database can be extracted in a variety of ways of use in different analyses. The database contains a wide variety of information on bycatch species within the Atlantic region. Although the database is well designed and very useful, it has several limitations. These limitations could largely be overcome by migrating the Metadata base from its current format to an open source platform and made available online. In particular, the online reference management solution Zotero, is a promising candidate for the migration of this database.