National Tuna Data Coordinators

Nationa Tuna Data Coordinator

Does every country and territory need a NTDC?

It is important that the main tasks of the NTDC are clearly identified and assigned to
someone in the Fisheries Department as a matter of priority. In most countries and
territories the NTDC will be a full-time position, but in others the NTDC can be seen
as a combination of tasks that have been assigned to one person, who may also
have other duties.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) recommends that all data collection,
management and dissemination tasks are clearly identified and assigned to staff
in-country. A responsibility template is provided by SPC to help countries and
territories ensure that all of the important data tasks have been assigned. The
objective of having a NTDC position is then to “coordinate” the tuna data tasks and
to have an active role in all aspects of tuna data.