The IOTC has mandated responsibility for sixteen tuna and tuna-like species listed in its area of competence. The area of competence of IOTC as defined in the IOTC Agreement is the Indian Ocean (defined for the purpose of this Agreement as being FAO statistical areas 51 and 57) and adjacent seas, north of the Antarctic Convergence, insofar as it is necessary to cover such seas for the purpose of conserving and managing stocks that migrate into or out of the Indian Ocean. There is a shared responsibility with the CCSBT in relation to southern bluefin tuna but it is agreed that the CCSBT will have primary responsibility. Where relevant, the IOTC will coordinate data provision to FIGIS/FIRMS with the CCSBT.

See the current collection coverage   

The information to be contributed conform to the policy guidelines for confidentiality and information release of the IOTC and to the Information Management Policy established by the FIRMS Steering Committee.

Sources and Traceability
In the fact sheets provided by IOTC to FIRMS sources of information are documented, and links to electronic versions of source material are provided when available. A link to the IOTC website is provided for detailed information not suitable for posting to FIRMS.
The IOTC detailed stock assessment and scientific reports which serve as background documentation for information published on FIRMS are published on the IOTC web site.
Bibliographic sources for the reports of the IOTC are contained in these individual stock assessment reports and in the research and scientific reports of the Commission.

Transparency and Peer-Review
Details of IOTC data collection and compilation are provided in its various reports and scientific bulletins. Further information and links to detailed information may be found at IOTC website.

Collection Method: In partial summary, the sources of data used in assessments and research of the IOTC include:

• Summary catch and effort and biological data, from longline fisheries of distant water fishing nations;
• Data collected in ad hoc studies designed to meet the objectives of the Commission;
• Data which are used in assessments and analyses of status and trends are reviewed as part of the annual, scientific peer review of IOTC stock assessments held prior to development of final stock assessment reports and summaries for IOTC Annual Meetings.

Processing Method: 

Validation Mechanism:  Transparency of the information and results on status and trends of stocks and resources presented by the IOTC are documented in the course of the scientific peer-review process followed to obtain the results, and the various public meetings of the IOTC at which the results, and various options for management and resource conservation, are presented and discussed. Details on these meetings and processes are available at .

Consistency and accuracy


Information Security
All contributions from the IOTC will be in the public domain.
The information contributed to FIRMS resides under the full ownership (hence responsibility) of the IOTC Stock Status Reports. Methods used in authentication and verification of this information lie on the FIRMS security mechanisms, including a role for a IOTC editor and a IOTC approver.

Timeliness
Transmission schedule is planned to be within the few days following publication by the IOTC of its reports on the IOTC web-site.

Inquiries can be addressed to the Database Manager of the Secretariat to Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

This is an extract of the IOTC fisheries advice presenting the fish stock information. The full IOTC advice is available on http://www.iotc.org and accounts for fisheries constraints in addition to the stock considerations.