One of the fundamental principles in the WCPFC Convention is to ensure that conservation and management measures are based on the best scientific evidence available. WCPFC members meet this requirement through a series of data collection requirements to support scientific analysis, assessment, and research in support of conservation and management decisions. This includes data on how much fish is caught, where and when fishing occurs, how much effort is spent (e.g., number of fishing days, sets, or hooks), and other details about fish catch, such as size, sex, and weight. Members are required to submit these data annually to the WCPFC, where they are compiled by the Commission’s scientific services provider (SPC) into regional databases for analysis.
Scientific data is the backbone of fisheries management. Scientists assess the status of fish stocks and provide advice to managers. By examining catch and effort trends, size composition of catches, and observer observations, scientists can determine whether a species is being fished sustainably or if conservation measures are needed. When members share accurate and timely data, it ensures that management decisions are based on the best available science. This collaborative data collection and sharing helps maintain healthy fish populations and ocean ecosystems.
Why It Matters:
- Informed Decisions: Data-driven analyses (like stock assessments) tell managers whether a fish species is overfished or healthy. This information guides decisions on catch limits, seasonal closures, and other conservation measures.
- Monitoring Trends: Tracking catches and fishing effort over time helps identify changes or warning signs early. For example, data can reveal if catch rates are declining or if fishing is moving into new areas, prompting proactive management actions.
- Transparency: Openly sharing data (within agreed rules) builds trust among all stakeholders – coastal communities, fishers, industry, scientists, and conservation groups. It shows that everyone is working with the same facts and that the fishery is being managed responsibly and accountably.
Common Types of Fisheries Data:
- Catch and Effort Data: Information on how many fish are caught and the amount of fishing effort (e.g. days at sea, number of hooks or sets) used to catch them. Members typically collect this through vessel logbooks or electronic reporting. These data help estimate catch-per-unit-effort and overall fishing pressure.
- Size Data: Measurements of individual fish length or weight from the catch. Collected via port sampling or observers, size data help scientists understand the population’s age structure, growth rates, and reproductive maturity.
- Observer Data: Detailed reports from independent observers on board fishing vessels. Observers record catch composition, bycatch of non-target species (e.g. sea turtles, sharks, seabirds), gear and fishing methods used, and vessel compliance with regulations. This provides an independent check on fisheries activities and data on interactions with the ecosystem.
- Annual Reports: Summaries of national fisheries statistics and research provided by each member every year. For example, Annual Report Part 1 is submitted to WCPFC’s Scientific Committee, detailing each country’s catch and effort for the year, key results from research, and management actions. These reports give a high-level overview to complement the raw data submissions.
Data Submission Requirements
Every WCPFC member (and cooperating non-member) is required to submit specific data and documents each year to meet the Commission’s reporting obligations. The resources below include the official requirements, standards, and templates for these scientific data submissions:
- Scientific Data to Be Provided to the Commission:
Download the official requirements for annual scientific data submission – This document (often called “SciData”) lists all the data categories and definitions that each CCM must provide (e.g. catch and effort data, size composition, operational logbook data, etc.). - Regional Observer Programme (ROP) Data: The Commission’s observer programme provides independent data collection aboard vessels. The links below give background on the ROP and its requirements:
- Annual Report Part 1 Template:
Download the Part 1 report template for annual Scientific Committee reporting – Members use this template to report annual catch statistics, research activities, and management actions in their Part 1 report to the Scientific Committee. - Standards, Specifications and Procedures (SSPs) for Electronic Reporting:
Download the SSPs for electronic reporting of catch/effort and observer data – This document provides technical standards and formats to guide members in submitting data electronically (e.g. electronic logbooks and observer e-Reports), to ensure consistency and ease of data processing.
Status of Data Provided to the Commission
Each year, the Scientific Committee reviews updates on the status of Scientific Data Available to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (SC21 – August 2025) . This report reviews the completeness of scientific data submissions by each member and highlights any gaps or missing information. The report covers annual catch estimates, aggregated catch/effort data, operational catch/effort data, and size composition data.
A companion paper that covers the Status of observer data management (SC21 – August 2025) shows the level of observer data coverage for different fisheries, including purse seine observer data, longline observer data. The paper provides information on what percentage of fishing operations were observed and reported, helping to pinpoint gaps in observer coverage.
Publicly Available Scientific Data
WCPFC releases certain fisheries data publicly, under the framework of the Rules and Procedures for the Protection, Access to, and Dissemination of Data (RAP). The RAP governs how data can be shared to protect sensitive information (for example, restricting data that could reveal the operations of an individual vessel). All public-domain data provided below adheres to these rules.
WCPFC Data Catalogue
The WCPFC Data Catalogue is an online index of the Commission’s data holdings. It provides downloadable summaries and detailed datasets organized by gear type, species, and region. This catalogue helps users see what data are available for the Western and Central Pacific, and it is updated as new data are submitted and processed over time.
Click here to access the Data Catalogue.
Public Domain Aggregated Catch and Effort Data
Catch and effort data record how much fish is caught and the amount of fishing activity required to catch it. These aggregated statistics (grouped by time period, area, gear, etc.) are vital for monitoring fish stock status and ensuring sustainable practices. They are compiled from the detailed logbook data submitted by WCPFC Members and Cooperating Non-members. In addition, the Commission provides public versions of fish length (size) data collected from members and partners, which are crucial for assessing growth rates, size at maturity, and overall stock health.
Data Protection and Filtering
According to RAP Paragraph 9, any public domain dataset must represent data from at least three vessels. If a particular data cell might reveal information from fewer than three vessels, it has been omitted or combined to protect confidentiality. (The documentation accompanying the public data files for longline and purse seine fisheries details which data were removed or masked due to this rule.)
Note on Longline Shark Data: Trends in shark catch data from longline fisheries should be interpreted with caution. Increases in reported shark catches in recent years likely reflect improved reporting and observer coverage, rather than actual increases in shark abundance or catch rates.
Note on Data for Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam: These countries’ historical data series are limited. Complete historical operational data are not available for certain domestic fisheries. Instead, their annual total catch estimates have been broken down for inclusion in regional datasets, meaning long-term trends for those fisheries are based on disaggregated estimates rather than continuous time series data.
Recent Data: The catch and effort figures for the most recent year are provisional. Especially in the longline sector, data for the last year may be incomplete at the time of publication and could be updated in future submissions as more reports come in.
Click here to access the aggregated catch and effort data.
Public Bycatch Data
Bycatch refers to the unintentional catch of non-target species such as sea turtles, sharks, marine mammals, or seabirds during fishing operations. Tracking bycatch is essential for understanding and mitigating the broader ecological impacts of fishing.
Public Bycatch Data (BDEP)
Using the Bycatch Data Exchange Protocol (BDEP), WCPFC publishes aggregated bycatch statistics alongside related fishing effort data and observer information. The BDEP provides a standardized way for members to share bycatch data, ensuring that the information is comparable across different fleets and time periods. In this section, you can find summary tables of bycatch (e.g. number of incidents or catch of key species) and associated effort data, based on observer reports and other data submissions.
Bycatch Estimates
These are regional purse seine bycatch estimates presented in an accessible format for the public. They are derived from scientific analyses (see SC17-ST-IP-06, Tables 6 to 9) and provide estimated levels of bycatch by species group. This helps managers and stakeholders visualize the scale of non-target catches in the tuna purse seine fishery and evaluate the effectiveness of bycatch mitigation measures.
Tuna Fishery Yearbook
The WCPFC Tuna Fishery Yearbook is an annual publication that compiles official catch statistics for tuna and billfish in the WCPFC Statistical Area. It currently provides yearly catch estimates from 1970 to 2023 (with historical data from 1950–1969 available upon request). The Yearbook is a key reference for long-term trends in the Pacific tuna fisheries.
Which Species Are Covered?
- Tunas: Albacore, Bigeye, Skipjack, Yellowfin
- Billfish: Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Swordfish
- Key Sharks (in longline data): Blue Shark, Silky Shark, Oceanic Whitetip Shark, and Mako Sharks
How Is the Data Collected?
Catch data in the Yearbook come from multiple sources. National fishery agencies provide logsheet (logbook) reports from their vessels and data from onboard observers. These raw data are supplemented with scientific analysis to improve accuracy – for example, statistical models are used to adjust for known biases or under-reporting in logbooks. The Yearbook organizes data by major gear types (Longline, Pole-and-Line, Purse Seine, and Troll) and by flag or fleet, providing a comprehensive snapshot of fishing activities each year.
Data Quality Notes
Purse Seine Catch Estimates: For purse seine fisheries, scientific observers have noted that some bigeye and yellowfin tunas were historically under-reported (being misidentified as skipjack in logbooks). To correct for this, the Yearbook applies observer-based adjustment factors to the reported purse seine catches. The adjusted estimates for yellowfin and bigeye appear in the Yearbook’s tables, while the original logbook totals (without correction) are shown in grey italics for comparison.
Longline Shark Estimates: Catch figures for sharks in longline fisheries are marked with grey italics in the Yearbook because they are considered uncertain. Shark catches are often under-reported in logbooks and observer coverage in longline fisheries has historically been low, meaning these estimates have a higher degree of uncertainty. They are included to give an indication of shark catch levels, but should be interpreted with caution.
Discard Estimates: Estimates of discards (fish thrown back, measured by weight) are included in the Yearbook from 2017 onward. This accounts for fish that were caught but not retained. Tracking discards helps provide a more complete picture of total fishing mortality, including compliance with requirements to release certain species.
Download Reports and Explore Data
WCPFC Tuna Fishery Yearbook 2024 (PDF report, 17.8 MB) – This is the latest Yearbook edition, published in 2025, covering annual catch data up to 2023.
Annual Catch and Effort (ACE) Tables – 2023 Data Files – These are detailed data tables of annual catch estimates by fleet, gear, species, and area for 2023, which complement the Yearbook’s summaries.
You can also explore historical and recent data interactively using the ACE (Annual Catch Estimates) online query interface, hosted by SPC. This tool allows users to filter and query the catch and effort database by year, fleet, species, and gear to generate custom tables and charts.