22nd Regular Session of the Scientific Committee

SC22 will review the progress of work under Project 100d, focusing on progress in large-scale sample collection and genotyping, feasibility of integrating Close-Kin-Mark-Recapture (CKMR) outputs into assessment models, and the strategic value of CKMR in reducing key uncertainties, alongside consideration of logistical requirements, timelines, and resource implications for scaling this method within the WCPFC scientific work programme. 

• The project extends earlier work by applying CKMR methods to South Pacific albacore (Project 100c) and seeks to deliver CKMR-based estimates of key demographic parameters such as absolute adult abundance, mortality, and connectivity, for incorporation into the 2027 stock assessment. The project will also evaluate the broader applicability of CKMR approaches across WCPFC-managed tuna, billfish, and shark stocks, and develop a cost-benefit and prioritisation framework to guide future investment in and application of CKMR methods across species.