Stock Assessment Workshop 2007

Nominations for fisheries officers from Pacific Island Countries and Territories to attend one of two stock assessment workshops (focused on Western and Central Pacific tuna fisheries) being run by SPC in 2007 are being sought.

You may recall that in July 2006, the Oceanic Fisheries Programme of the SPC held a 2 week stock assessment workshop for oceanic fisheries officers from Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The workshop was part of the GEF funded “Oceanic Fisheries Management Project” and also utilized other funding including the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council, PROCFISH OCT and PROCFISH ACP. The purpose of the workshop was to increase understanding of stock assessments and oceanographic impacts within Pacific Island Countries and Territories; enable informed communication of these issues within country; enable increased contribution to Scientific Committee and Commission decision making; and, increase local capacity for data analyses/interpretation. SPC will be holding two stock assessment workshops in 2007, using funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project and other sources.

• Workshop 1 (June 25th -30th 2007, Noumea) is intended for officers who have not undertaken such training previously, and will contain similar content to the 2006 workshop (see attached report for details).
• Workshop 2 (July 2nd -7th 2007, Noumea) is intended predominantly for participants from the 2006 workshop, and will refresh and build further upon the knowledge imparted to them last year.

In addition to covering the basic theory of stock assessment in some detail, both workshops will provide discussion of recent changes and improvements to the WCPO tuna assessments, as well as provide increased focus on oceanographic impacts and discuss recent ecological risk assessment analyses and other ecosystem research. We would strongly encourage last year’s participants to attend Workshop 2 to ensure that the increased knowledge and understanding gained last year are not lost over time.

Countries who wish to participate in these workshops are asked to provide a nomination (see attached form) by the 15th of March. In doing so, please note the following conditions:

• There are 12 places available in each workshop (so 24 overall). This is 8 more places available than in 2006.
  
• Each country or territory can initially nominate one officer only, to attend either workshop 1 or 2, but not both.
• The OFP only holds enough funding to cover the travel and per diem for one officer per country or territory. In the event that there are still vacancies available after nominations have closed, those countries or territories that wish to send a second participant will be offered the opportunity to do so.
  
• The costs associated with a second officers attendance will be carried by the requesting country or territory.
  
• Nominations close on the 15th of March 2007.

For further information, please contact
Dr Don Bromhead
Fisheries Scientist
Oceanic Fisheries Programme
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
Ph: +687 260120 DonaldB@spc.int