1. Update on issues related to Observer Data Management
Fifth Tuna Data Workshop (TDW-5)
18-22 April 2011, Noumea, New Caledonia
SESSION 6.2(c)
Update on issues related to
Observer Data Management
Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP)
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

2. Presentation Outline Background … Current Status …
Future plans/developments
Review of TDW-4 questionnaire

3. Observer data – Background
Relevant text in CMM
Monitoring
Para 28. Purse seine vessels fishing within the area bounded by 20°N and 20°S exclusively on the high seas, on the high seas and in waters under the jurisdiction of one or more coastal States, or vessels fishing in waters under the jurisdiction of two or more coastal States, shall carry effective 1 January 2010, an observer from the Commission’s Regional Observer Programme (ROP).
Ramifications
Effectively, 100% observer coverage for the tropical purse seine fishery...
The ROP relies on the national observer programmes...
Therefore, a significant increase in costs and resources needed for data collection and data management in national observer programmes

4. Observer data management
Current Status
CMM
100% observer coverage in purse seine fishery (from 2010)
5% observer coverage in longline fishery (from 2012)
Member countries
Significant increase in resources to COLLECT the data …
Need to increase resources to MANAGE the data …
Data scanning seems to be more manageable now after early problems…
SPC/OFP to manage ROP data entry (WCPFC7 decision)
Short-medium term …
Recruitment of 12 data entry staff (DCTs)
DCTs : 10 in Noumea; 2 in Pohnpei
8 DCT staff funded by WCPFC; 4 DCT staff funded by NC govt.
New Observer Data Manager and Data Audit Officer positions (NZ Aid : 2011; thereafter WCPFC)
FFA/PNA
Will continue to enter the observer data from sub-regional arrangements (US MLT and FSM Arrangement)

5. Future plan for observer data management
In the short term, maintain the “status quo”, then slowly evolve...
FFA continue to have responsibility for data entry of sub-regional observer programme s
Developed-country CCMs continue to manage the data from their programmes (e.g. US, Aust, NZ)
SPC/OFP to continue to process data on behalf of member-country national observer programmes under the WCPFC ROP Data Management and NZ-AID projects ...
...

6. Future plan for observer data management
... national programmes progressively start to manage their own data with TUBS ...
Countries decide when they will start entering observer data …
Countries determine what resources they require to enter observer data (with assistance from SPC/FFA) …
... SPC takes on the role of providing technical support of TUBs for their member countries ...
To date, SPC has installed TUBS in two countries on a trial basis
2011 Plan : One additional country to be trialled
2001 Plan : Trial data entry by observer on-board vessel
Available resources will restrict activities …
Data entry will continue at SPC in parallel to data entry in country, until …
countries are comfortable with observer data entry, and
the country data and systems have been successfully AUDITED …

7. Observer data management resource requirements
Some key information
One dedicated data entry staff will work for an estimated 200 days per year
An experienced data entry operator with good typing skills can enter one purse seine trip in 2 days. An inexperienced data entry operator can take up to 3-4 days to enter a purse seine trip.
There will need to be at least one technical person with expert observer data knowledge always available to support the data entry staff.

8. Observer data management resource requirements
Some key information (cont.)
There will need to be a technical (database) person available to support the database system.
An unexperienced, unskilled and/or unmotivated data entry operator can be potentially worse than not entering the data at all (...bad data can not be used !)
Countries already comfortably entering logsheets and other fishery data would be well placed to expand their data management to cover observer data entry

9. Problems with observer data management
What should you do ?
Determine the resources required (with SPC/FFA assistance)
How many staff are needed (data entry, training, management and technical)
Infrastructure costs
Funds for equipment, etc. (computers, scanners, storage space)
Funds for training
Etc.
Decisions on whether to process data or outsource to SPC ?
Can you afford to process data ? (see 1. above)
Can the COST be recovered ? How ?
Perhaps a staged approach over time ...
Develop a realistic, clear plan and approach your senior management to make them aware of the problem
Develop a national plan of action for observer data management
Brief your representatives to WCPFC meetings (e.g. TCC) highlighting any problems that will be faced ...

10. Observer data management Review of TDW-4 Questionnaire
Thirteen (13) countries responded
Ten (10) of these countries currently have observer programmes
Observer activities vary by country, ranging from no observer programme, to 500+ trips/year
Current debriefing resources were clearly below the required level in most countries …
8 out of 10 countries will continue to rely on SPC to provide Observer Workbooks

11. Observer data management Review of TDW-4 Questionnaire (continued)
Eight countries with observer programmes indicated they want to use TUBS
…but only 2 out of these 8 countries indicated that they have resources (staffing and equipment) to start immediately
some indicated they may be ready in the short term
others – longer term…
All countries wanting TUBs indicated their need for SPC/OFP to continue with the provision of technical support
Some countries indicated they would only consider entering information directly relevant to their national requirements
For e.g. only MCS data; not entering the size data…
Has anything changed since last year ??

12. Observer data management
Discussion/Exercise :
Key points for each national plan of action/strategy for observer data management
Decision to proceed ? (how)
Resource requirements (what)
Timing (when)
Update TDW-4 questionnaire ??