Archived News

The report of the International Workshop on Tuna RFMO Management of Issues Relating to Bycatch (Kobe II Bycatch Workshop)  held in Brisbane, Australia from 23-25 June 2010, is now available (click here).

The aims of the workshop were to:

Review the available information on incidental catch of non-target species and juveniles of target species;

Provide advice to tuna RFMOs on best practices, methods, and techniques to assess and reduce the incidental mortality of non-target species, such as seabirds, turtles, sharks, marine mammals, and juvenile target species;

Develop and coordinate relevant research programmes and observer programmes; and

Make recommendations on mechanisms to streamline the work of the T-RFMO Working Groups in this field in order to avoid duplication.

Following a series of presentations and panel discussions, recommendations were adopted on the following themes (see Appendix 4 of the workshop report for full details):

Improving assessment of bycatch within T-RFMOs;

Improving ways to mitigate/reduce bycatch within T-RFMOs;

Improving cooperation and coordination across RFMOs; and

On capacity building for developing countries.

In addition, terms of reference were developed for a Bycatch Joint Technical Working Group to facilitate cooperation and coordination on bycatch issues between T-RFMOS.

Click here for an earlier news story on the Kobe II Workshop.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 July 2010