57. An extended discussion reviewed the need for detailed breakdown of catch and effort data and the (in some countries) legal requirement to maintain the confidentiality of data relating to individual operators. It was proposed that a tiered approach be taken to the reporting of fishery operations starting first with reporting at the global, or study area level, though even here it was feared that with the declining number of operators problems may still be encountered in maintaining confidentiality of individual vessel operations. However it was agreed that national identity of catches would not be needed for stock analyses and formulation of resource management recommendations.
58. A second tier of reporting was proposed, to be based on bathymetric features in the study area. These statistical reporting areas were based on the distribution of orange roughy and may not be appropriate for other species. These areas can be defined in general as (see Figure 2):
|
i. |
Mozambique Ridge |
|
ii. |
Madagascar Ridge |
|
iii. |
Southwest Indian Ridge |
|
iv. |
90° Ridge and southeast part of Mid-Indian Ridge and |
|
v. |
Broken Ridge |
|
vi. |
‘Centre Block’ and |
|
vii. |
South Indian Basin. |
Participants at the meeting from Japan noted that their country wished to use the FAO areas (i.e. 51 and 57) for reporting their data so as to be consistent with existing Japanese industry reporting practices.
