Description

A system for the marking of fishing gear should be an integral part of fisheries management. This document evaluates the major fishing gears that harvest species under the management of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) through a risk assessment to determine the level of complexity when implementing a system of fishing gear marking. The analysis includes five types of fishing gear, which account for 90 percent of fish landings in the IOTC area of competence, as well as two types of fish aggregating device (FAD). Based on the evaluation, the document proposed a framework for marking these fishing gears and FADs, based on the principles outlined in the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear. It also provides an indicative economic assessment for implementing a system of fishing gear marking in the IOTC area, based on the responsibilities between the IOTC Secretariat, the Contracting Parties and Cooperating Non-contracting Parties (CPCs), and fishing operators (fishers, fisher organizations and/or corporations). As requested by IOTC, a draft resolution for implementing a system of fishing gear marking for the IOTC area of competence has been prepared.