22nd Regular Session of the Scientific Committee

SC22 will review a preliminary exploration into EM data submitted for the 2025 fishing year to evaluate how these data could satisfy the monitoring requirements for longline vessels, as compared to human observers, and to identify any potential gaps or challenges associated. This case study is intended to support the Commission discussion on the implementation of EM to meet longline coverage requirements in the future.

SC22 will also have an opportunity to provide guidance to the ERandEM-IWG on the adequacy of proposed EM coverage levels for estimating bycatch and rare species interactions, the need for harmonised data standards between EM and ROP to maintain time series continuity, and the importance of robust data validation processes, including the role of secondary review and the emerging use of AI. SC22 may also consider issues related to data access, data retention policies, data reporting timelines, and an audit and assurance framework, all of which may affect the availability, quality, and comparability of datasets provided to SPC for scientific analyses. 

• The ERandEM-IWG met twice in the first half of 2026 (ERandEMIWG8 and ERandEMIWG9). The IWG8 discussions highlighted several science-relevant issues, including the need to ensure that EM-derived data are fit for scientific use, with clear definitions of annotated data and minimum data requirements aligned with stock assessment needs.