The preparation of this Circular was possible only due to a close collaboration of various institutions and individuals. The Expert Consultation on Implications of the Precautionary Approach for Tuna Biological and Technological Research (held in Phuket, Thailand from 7 to 15 March 2000) was co-organized and co-sponsored by:
the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT),
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC),
the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC),
the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), and
the Secretariat for the Pacific Community (SPC)
in collaboration with:
the Department of Fisheries of the Royal Government of Thailand.
The Consultation's Steering Committee (SC) listed below contributed significantly to its organization.
Dr Robin Allen (Consultation Chairman and Director of IATTC, La Jolla, USA),
Mr David Ardill (Secretary of IOTC, Victoria, Seychelles),
Dr John Hampton (Consultation Vice-Convenor and Principal Fisheries Scientist of SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia),
Dr Veravat Hongskul (Senior Fishery Officer of FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand),
Dr Jacek Majkowski (Consultation Convenor and Fishery Resources Officer of FAO, Rome, Italy),
Mr Campbell McGregor (Secretary of CCSBT, Canberra, Australia),
Dr Peter Miyake (Assistant Executive Secretary of ICCAT, Madrid, Spain) and
Dr Ziro Suzuki (Consultation Vice-Chairman and Director of the Pelagic Fish Resources Division of the National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Shimizu, Japan).
Dr Hongskul and his staff ensured excellent arrangements in Phuket and provided support and assistance during the Consultation. The Department of Fisheries of the Royal Government of Thailand, especially the Andaman Sea Fisheries Development Center (AFDEC) and the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), assisted with securing these arrangements and provided hospitality for the Consultation. Generous hospitality was also provided by the Thai Oceanic Tuna Fishery Cooperatives, Ltd. (TOTFIC) and the Phuket Fishing Port of the Fish Marketing Organization (FMO).
The four Working Groups (WGs) created to carry out the preparatory work for the Consultation significantly contributed to drafting the paper presented in the Circular. Particularly, the effort of their Convenors (Drs Alain Fonteneau, Michael Hinton, Joseph Powers, and Joel Prado) and Vice-Convenors (Mr Alejandro Anganuzzi and Drs Lindsay Chapman, Richard Grainger, and Patrick Lehodey) needs to be acknowledged. All the experts participated in the preparatory work and in the Consultation at the cost to their employers. Dr Allen, Consultation Chairman efficiently led the Consultation to its successful outcome. Dr Willian Bayliff (IATTC, La Jolla, USA) edited the paper presented in the Circular. Ms Anne Van Lierde (FAO, Rome, Italy) formatted the Circular. FAO financed the publication and distribution of this Circular.
