First SWG Meeting

During the first international meeting on the establishment of a South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) an informal science meeting was convened.

The science working group undertook the following tasks:

• a brief review of knowledge of the current oceanography and fisheries of the area;
• the review of a draft species description template;
• the review of draft species profiles for orange roughy,  jack mackerel, toothfish and Chatham albatross.

A presentation on research undertaken by Russia in the area of interest was also made during the meeting.

As a result of the work undertaken at the informal science meeting, the first meeting on the establishment of a South Pacific RFMO decided to create a science working group to conduct intersessional work in preparation for the second international meeting on the establishment of a South Pacific RFMO, with an agreed intersessional work plan.