The Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECACF) Data Collection Reference Framework (DCRF) is the first instrument to establish the foundation for comprehensive fisheries data and statistics collection and collation in the WECAFC area. The DCRF will feed the needs of developing, monitoring, assessing and reviewing regional fisheries policies such as fishery management plan as needed by any regional or subregional fishery body.

The 2018 edition of The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries (SoMFi 2018), the flagship publication of the GFCM, provides a comprehensive overview of regional and subregional trends in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries. Bringing together data and indicators submitted by GFCM contracting parties and cooperating non- contracting parties on stock status, national catches, fleet and socio-economic aspects as well as information obtained from other sources, SoMFi 2018 aims to provide objective, reliable and up-to-date information to a wide audience and support decision-making in fisheries. SoMFi 2018 is divided into eight chapters. The first analyses the current composition of the fishing fleet, including information on fleet capacity, vessel types and age classes. Next comes a detailed breakdown of overall capture fishery production with comparisons of the latest figures to data from previous years, highlighting significant changes and trends. The report then looks at what this means for regional economies and for the livelihoods of the people who depend on the fisheries sector. As small-scale fisheries make up a large majority of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, they receive special focus. SoMFi 2018 also provides the most detailed assessment yet of the state of fishery resources in the region. It shows the current status of the stocks, including those most at risk from overfishing, and looks at related issues like discards and incidental catches of vulnerable species. The report then highlights GFCM’s strategic efforts to build long-term sustainability, as it works with its stakeholders to sustainably manage fisheries and improve coastal livelihoods across the region. Finally, SoMFi 2018 concludes with an overview of the important role fisheries have to play in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, maintaining healthy ecosystems and productive fisheries.

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).

The twelfth session of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) was held virtually from 19 to 20 June 2023. The SAG considered the outcomes of the work carried out by various joint working groups between 2022 and 2023 and their recommendations to the 19th Session of WECAFC . A revised version of the Caribbean Regional anchored aFAD Management plan and a revised version of the Guide for improved monitoring of anchored aFAD catches and improved assessment of anchored aFADs impact on stocks first reviewed at the eleventh session of SAG were tabled.

This third edition of the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries provides a comprehensive overview of the status of fisheries in the region, looking at their main features and trends, in order to better inform their management and better examine current and future challenges that they will face in the near future. The aim of this report is to produce a document that could provide useful analysis and direction for decision-making and future action. In this respect, this publication also represents a convenient source of information for the FAO Committee on Fisheries and offers a practical complement to the data provided in the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture published by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. This volume includes seven chapters divided into two sections: a first part on the status and trends of different aspects of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, including fleet, catches, socio-economic variables and bycatch, and a second part that focuses on the management of Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries, including an overview on small-scale fisheries. This report is based to a large extent on the most up-to-date data available submitted by GFCM contracting and cooperating non-contracting parties, including information on stock status, national catches, fleet and socio-economic information up to 2018. It is also complemented with information from other sources.

The Fourth Meeting of the WECAFC/CRFM/IFREMER Working Group on the Shrimp and Groundfish of the Northern Brazil-Guianas Shelf was held virtually on 18 and 19 November 2020. Among the 39 participants were Working Group Members, national fisheries officers and representatives of government organizations, academia, fishing industry, partner organizations and the FAO. The final draft of the Sub-regional EAF Strategy and Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for the shrimp and groundfish fisheries of the North Brazil-Guianas Shelf was reviewed. Among the issues discussed were options for the institutional mechanisms, including a technical and a decision-making body, required for implementation of the strategy and FMP. Representatives of Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago presented an overview of the current status and outlook of their respective fisheries and national FMPs. While progress has been made toward management of the shrimp and groundfish fisheries, several challenges were encountered and some stocks continued to be overexploited. Results were presented of the pilot application of the Governance Effectiveness Assessment Framework in fisheries, pollution, and habitats and biodiversity on the North Brazil Shelf. The need for improvement in data collection was highlighted. In addition, the key findings of a decent work assessment of the shrimp and groundfish fisheries in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago as well as at the regional level were discussed and recommendations presented. A major concern is IUU fishing in the context of human and labour rights violations and undocumented migrant workers. An update of the FIRMS inventories indicated that 29 resource fact sheets and 35 fisheries fact sheets for the WECAFC region have been produced for the reporting period 2016–2020. A call was made for Member States to submit fishery inventory updates. The proposed revised structure of the list of main species for WECAFC as well as the preliminary boundary proposals regarding FAO Fishing area 31 were discussed by participants. An update on vessel mapping for the WECAFC-proposed regional classification of fleet segments was presented. This is based on classifying fishing vessels according to the predominant gear used, to match the diversity of artisanal vessels and gear types that exist in the WECAFC region. The proposed modified structure of the interim Data Collection Reference Framework (iDCRF) and data policy were discussed. Participants reviewed and validated the WECAFC decision support system, which will support decision making in ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF)-ecosystem based management (EBM) in the region. The current status of a