22nd Regular Session of the Scientific Committee

SC22 will review the outcomes of regional CPUE analyses combining purse seine and pole and line fisheries data as a potential approach to mitigating the impact of changing spatial coverage of key gears. SC22 will also review the latest update to the skipjack monitoring strategy and provide input as required.

• The Commission emphasised that a robust monitoring strategy is essential to support effective implementation of the skipjack MP, particularly to ensure that data inputs remain reliable and that MP outputs are accurately tracked against actual fishery performance. Key issues include strengthening data inputs to the estimation method, addressing potential degradation in key datasets, such as reduced spatial coverage and representativeness of pole-and-line CPUE indices, changes in fleet behaviour affecting CPUE signals, and gaps or inconsistencies in catch and effort reporting, as well as identifying and closing data gaps and improving monitoring of catch and effort relative to MP limits. There is also a need to begin incorporating climate and ecosystem-related uncertainties into the monitoring framework.