An electronic monitoring system for the tuna fisheries in the eastern Pacific Ocean: objectives and standards

Electronic monitoring (EM) is increasingly being used worldwide to record the activities of fishing vessels, to complement human observer programs, and where on-board observer coverage is low or non-existent. EM uses sensors and cameras to record information on the vessel’s activities, and particularly its fishing operations and their results. EM is cost-efficient, provides an accurate record of fishing activities, and might provide more consistent coverage of fishing activities than human observers. It would improve data collection for purse-seine vessels that do not carry on-board observers, particularly information on bycatches and discards and on the dynamics of the FAD fishery, and for longline vessels. An ongoing pilot study in Ecuador has produced useful data.

This document presents a summary of the current sources of EPO fisheries data, the staff’s assessment of the potential of EM and how it might be implemented, and proposals for minimum standards for the various components of an EM system.

This document has been prepared in response to Recommendation 3.1 of the 10th meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC-10) in 2019, and in accordance with paragraphs 9 and 10 of Resolution C-19-08, to draft minimum standards and data collection and reporting requirements for electronic monitoring (EM) of both the purse-seine and the longline fleets operating in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO), to be presented to the Commission for consideration at its meeting in August 2020.