The Second International Meeting to discuss the establishment of a South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation was held in Hobart, Australia, 6-10 November 2006. It was chaired by the independent Chair, elected at the First International Meeting, Bill Mansfield.

The meeting adopted SP/02/Inf01 as its agenda.

The Chair reported that, as requested at the First International Meeting, he had circulated the draft text of an Agreement and draft text for interim arrangements. The meeting discussed the draft text of an Agreement (SP/02/WP01) and draft text for interim arrangements (SP/02/WP02). The meeting requested the Chair to circulate a revision of the draft text of an Agreement taking into account the comments participants had made on SP/02/WP01 during the meeting. The meeting requested that the revision of the draft text of an Agreement be made available well in advance of the next meeting.

The co-convenor of the Science Working Group (SWG), Neville Smith, reported on the intersessional work of the SWG and advised that a summary of the report would be made available on the website of the proposed South Pacific Fisheries Management Organisation (www.southpacificrfmo.org). Mr Smith advised that the SWG had completed most of the tasks assigned to it at the First International Meeting and had made substantial progress on the remaining tasks. He noted that work completed to date has allowed an improved understanding of the current fisheries in the area and provided a sound framework for future scientific tasks.

The SWG met during the Second International Meeting. Members of the SWG discussed the necessary future work required, including the progression of co-operative research programmes in the region, the acceleration of progress in improving understanding of the biology and the status of commercially important bycatch species. They also recognised the importance of liaison with the Data and Information Working Group.

The Meeting requested the SWG to complete or advance the tasks listed in Annex 1 of this report prior to the Third International Meeting. Participants were encouraged actively to participate in the work of the SWG, to provide relevant information to the SWG in a timely manner and to involve their respective scientists in the planned work. It was agreed that the intersessional work of the SWG would be led by co-convenor Neville Smith ([email protected]).

www.southpacificrfmo.org

The Data and Information Working Group met during the Meeting. Dean Swanson facilitated the working group. The Meeting adopted the report of the Data and Information Working Group (Annex 2) and subsequently adopted a revised annex to that report (Annex 3). 

The Meeting noted that the Third International Meeting to discuss the establishment of the proposed South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation would be held in Chile, 30 April-4 May 2007.

The meeting noted that the data and information working group would meet 23 April, 24 April, and during the morning of 25 April 2007, and that the science working group would meet during the afternoon of 25 April, and on 26 and 27 April 2007.

The Meeting noted that New Zealand would continue to provide secretarial services, including management of the website, in the intersessional period.

The Meeting discussed interim measures that might apply in the period prior to the entry into force of the proposed Agreement to establish a South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation. It was not possible to reach agreement on such interim measures at this Meeting but the Meeting agreed that the matter would be discussed further, with the aim of reaching agreement on such interim measures, at the Third International Meeting.

The Meeting closed at 5.30pm on 10 November 2006.

Last Updated ( Monday, 20 November 2006 )