The first meeting of the Regional Fisheries Data and Statistics Working Group (FDS-WG) was convened in Barbados from 14-16 May 2018. The Regional FDS WG is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA). The 26 participating experts, representing 16 WECAFC members, were presented with and discussed key documents meant to build the foundation of this new working group. La primera reunión del Grupo de trabajo regional sobre datos y estadísticas de pesca (GTDEP) se celebró en Barbados, del 14 al 16 de mayo de 2018. El GTDEP regional es un grupo de trabajo conjunto de la Comisión de Pesca para el Atlántico Centro-Occidental (COPACO), el Mecanismo Regional de Pesca del Caribe (CRFM) y la Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano (OSPESCA). Se presentaron a los 26 expertos participantes, en representación de los 16 miembros de la COPACO, y se debatieron documentos importantes para sentar las bases de este nuevo grupo de trabajo.

The fourth meeting of the Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, was held virtually from 8 to 9 September 2020. The Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (RWG-IUU) Fishing is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA). At the meeting, the attendants provided updates on the implementation of the RWG-IUU work plan for 2019–2020 and their efforts in implementing the relevant recommendations that were endorsed at the 17th Session of WECAFC in July 2019. Participants were also informed of the developments at the global and regional levels in the implementation of the Port States Measures Agreement (PSMA) and complementing instruments. La cuarta reunión (virtual) del Grupo de trabajo regional sobre la pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (pesca INDNR), tuvo lugar del 8 al 9 de septiembre de 2020. El Grupo de trabajo regional sobre la pesca ilegal, no declarada y no reglamentada (GTR-INDNR) es un grupo conjunto de la Comisión de Pesca para el Atlántico Centro-Occidental (COPACO), el Mecanismo Regional de Pesca del Caribe (CRFM) y la Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano (OSPESCA). En la reunión, los asistentes proporcionaron información actualizada sobre la aplicación del plan de trabajo del GTR-INDNR para 2019-2020 y sus esfuerzos en implementar las recomendaciones pertinentes que fueron aprobadas en la decimoséptima sesión de la COPACO en julio de 2019.

The Second Meeting of the Regional Fisheries Data and Statistics Working Group (FDS-WG) was convened online in three (3) sessions with the main session on 12–16 October 2020, extended session on 25–28 May 2021 and conclusion session on 10 March 2022. The Regional FDS-WG is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA). The second meeting of the FDS-WG contributed to: • review the FDS-WG first meeting intersessional work and develop consensus and identify remaining work needed for technical session topics (vessel mapping, sub area and divisions, list of main and reference species, WECAFC-FIRMS stocks and fisheries inventory, Small-Scale Fisheries Matrix, and Data Collection Reference Framework and standards); • review country updates on national data collection systems, vessel registries, continuing challenges and needs; • identify, prioritize, and develop a criteria list of national countries capacity-building projects; • review the FDS-WG Terms of Reference; and • develop the FDS-WG2 Workplan for 2020–2022, including recommendations in preparation for the extended session, and initiate WG recommendations for the WECAFC Scientific Advisory Group (SAG).

This document contains the report of the first meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing held in Oslo, Norway, from 29 to 31 May 2017. The Parties agreed that FAO assumes the role of Secretariat for the meeting. The need for concerted action by port States, flag States and other States in the implementation of the Agreement, together with the important role of FAO, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and other international organizations and bodies, was recognized. The Parties noted the value of drawing lessons from existing relevant initiatives of RFMOs and other international organizations. The Parties agreed that a staged approach should be adopted with regards to data exchange and called for the establishment of an open-ended technical working group to provide guidance on the development of data exchange mechanisms. FAO was tasked with developing templates for reporting of information on national contact points, designated ports and other relevant information for the implementation of the Agreement, and to publish the information through a dedicated section within the FAO website. The Parties established the Working Group under Part 6 of the Agreement and its terms of reference were adopted. The Parties called upon the Secretariat to develop a specific web-based questionnaire for the purpose of monitoring implementation of the Agreement, as well as recording challenges faced, which is to be completed every two years initially. The Secretariat was also requested to prepare draft Rules of Procedure for meetings of the Parties and any subsidiary working groups based on the General Rules of the FAO, and relevant rules of the Committee on Fisheries, for consideration at the next meeting of the Parties. The Parties agreed to hold meetings every two years along with supplementary technical meetings as required.

The Third Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, was held in Barbados from 26 to 28 September 2018. The Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (RWG-IUU) Fishing is a joint working group of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and the Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Central America (OSPESCA). A total of 33 experts from 17 WECAFC Members, as well as three inter-governmental organizations, three non-governmental organizations and FAO attended the working group meeting. The working group elaborated recommendations for submission to the WECAFC Scientific Advisory Group on the monitoring and control of transshipment at sea, the application in the region of the technical guidelines on methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the marking of fishing gear.

The First meeting of the WECAFC/OSPESCA/CRFM/CITES/CFMC Working Group on shark conservation and management was held in Barbados on 17-19 October 2017. The meeting was attended by 30 shark fisheries experts from 15 WECAFC member countries and partner agencies. The meeting recognized the decline in various shark and ray stocks in the Caribbean region, as well as the need to conserve the threatened species among them. The meeting stressed the importance of harmonizing conservation and management measures with various international and regional conventions for the protection of these often-migratory species, as well as with measures by regional fisheries management bodies in the Atlantic. The fisheries experts recommended amongst others that the countries in the region should prohibit the removal of shark fins at sea and require that all sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached through the point of first landing of the sharks. The experts recommended the prohibition of targeted fisheries for iconic species, such as whale sharks, sawfishes and manta rays. The experts worked on a regional shark stocks and fisheries status assessment and a Regional Plan of Action for the conservation and management of sharks and rays in the WECAFC area.

This document contains the report of the first meeting of the Strategy ad hoc Working Group (SWG) established by the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement or the PSMA), held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, from 3 to 7 April 2023. It was attended by 55 Parties to the Agreement, and by observers from 23 States, 11 intergovernmental, 5 international non-governmental organizations and one specialized agency from the United Nations (UN). In line with its Terms of Reference adopted by the Parties, the SWG discussed aspects to improve the effectiveness of the PSMA, namely in relation to increasing adherence to the Agreement, the fulfilment of Parties’ responsibilities, mechanisms for the monitoring, review and assessment of the implementation of the Agreement, as well as resources required for the sustainable functioning of the Agreement. On the basis of the discussions and on the consolidated recommendations emanating from the four PSMA regional coordination meetings convened in 2022, the SWG developed a draft Strategy to Improve the Effectiveness of the PSMA and agreed to put it forward for consideration at the Fourth Meeting of Parties (MoP4).