The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, GoI is organizing the 19^th Working Party on Data Collection and Statistics (WPDCS19) of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) from 28^th November to 2^nd December 2023. The meeting inaugurated today at Hotel St. Regis, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

This is an important meeting organized by the IOTC and hosted by Department of Fisheries, GoI, which will bring together the renowned Scientists and Experts in the field of Tuna fisheries from all around the world.  Joint Secretary, Dept. of Fisheries, GoI, Ms. Neetu Kumari Prasad and Commissioner of Fisheries, Govt of Maharashtra, Shri Atul Patne was also present during the event.

Tunas and other large pelagic species, such as billfishes, sharks, and rays, hold immense economic significance, with tunas alone contributing an estimated annual value of trade of US$41 billion (in 2018). The international scope of these species necessitates collaborative efforts for improved management and conservation, given their susceptibility to overfishing by multinational fisheries.

There were participants from countries namely, Indonesia, France, Spain, other countries of the European Union (EU), Seychelles, Tanzania, Iran, Thailand, Japan, Sri Lanka, Oman and India attending the meeting in person. Besides, many participants from various other countries, IOTC and scientific organizations are attending the meeting in Virtual Mode as well.

The scientist will brainstorm and analyse the existing scientific methods adopted by various countries in data collection, compilation, and reporting to IOTC for the purpose of resource assessments and will come out with advanced and simplified methods of data collection and statistics in the Indian Ocean Region. This meeting will be followed by the main Scientific Committee meeting of the IOTC to be held at the same venue during 4^th – 8^th December, 2023 which will consider the recommendations of the WPDCS and various other working parties for scientific recommendations relating to sustainable management of tuna and tuna like species in the Indian Ocean.  

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SK/SS/SM