Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Added- and the well deck and conveyor belt (Murua et al., 2022; Restrepo et al., 2018): for the conveyor belt, in more than one place (e.g. at the beginning and at the end of the conveyor belt as a minimum); if there is a discard conveyor belt, it shall also be covered;

Added- Cameras must cover the following actions: fishing set, brailing, net hauling, FAD activities, total catch, catch well sorting (process of putting the catch in the hold or wells), bycatch handling and release, and tuna discards (Figure 1 and Table 1);

Added- In large purse-seines, at least 6 cameras are needed to cover fishing and fish-handling operations; however, less fewer cameras (e.g. 4 cameras) could cover the activity to collect the data required of smaller purse-seines (e.g. 300-400 tonnes capacity).

AddedThe preferred EM equipment configuration would be one that allows a greater number of images (frames) of higher quality/resolution. Digital video is generally preferred, but still images can also be a viable option to capture information during the various phases of the vessel’s activity. However, considering that storage capacity is limited, an optimal configuration may capture video on certain areas/cameras and at certain moments, while capturing still photos on or in others. In the case of photographs, the minimum requirement shall be that a picture is taken by the camera with viewing angle fully covering the fish management areas at least every 2 seconds when fishing action occurs (Restrepo et al., 2018). Image quality shall also be adequate to allow accurate collection of all required data field, such as species ID, FAD materials and design, or bait used and, hence, achieve the monitoring objectives.

AddedAny physical changes on a vessel that will affect EMS shall be reported to the flag Member State competent authorities. The VMP shall be updated and approved again by the competent authority as soon as possible.

AddedAny change on the EM equipment (such as installation of a new generation of cameras) shall be reported to the flag Member State competent authorities. The VMP shall be updated and approved again by the competent authority as soon as possible.

AddedLegend:

Added- Panoramic camera: surrounding activity

Added- Crows nest camera: fishing deck

Added- Bow camera: crane activity, partial view of seine

Added- Starboard camera: bycatch and discards

Added- Brailing camera: brailing and purse

Added- Bycatch release method

Added- Discards identification

Added- Captures and fates

Added- Good practices verification

Added- Capture sampling

Added- Big species measurement

Added- Capture description and bycatch release from brail

Added- Release of netted species

Added- Close view of the purse allows identifying not landed species condition on release and/or discards

AddedFigure 1. (A) An example of a 6-cameras EM system installed in a purse seiner covering main areas of fishing and fish handling operations (from Murua et al., 2020b) and (B) 7-cameras EM system (4 in the upper deck and 3 in the well deck) installed in a purse seine covering main areas of fishing and fishing handling operations including 1 more camera in the conveyor belt: (B1) 360˚ Panoramic view camera (e.g. port side view), (B2) Crows nest stern view camera, (B3) Working deck crane camera view , (B4) Foredeck view camera, (B5) Conveyor belt stern camera view, (B6) Conveyor belt middle camera, and (B7) Conveyor belt bow camera (source: Digital Observer Services).

AddedTable 1. Minimum areas and actions that shall be monitored.

AddedOn longline vessels, the minimum areas and activities that cameras are recommended to cover (Table, 2, Figure 2):

Added- the area of setting the longline (usually vessel stern site camera),

Added- the area of hauling the longline,

Added- the working deck where catch is handled,

Added- and the surrounding water area for those discarded species not brought onboard

Added- cameras must cover the following actions: setting of the longline, bait type information, whether mitigation techniques are being used (e.g. tori lines for seabirds), hauling of the longline, all hooked species (both retained and discarded), the fate of the catch, and the size of the specimens.

Added- on most tuna longlines, at least three cameras are needed to cover fishing activities and fish handling operations: one capturing images when setting the longline, one to record the hauling and boarding of the catch, and other mounted over the processing deck to record species, size of specimens and fate. An additional camera to cover the surrounding water area for those discarded species not brought onboard is also recommended.

AddedLegend:

Added- Cam 3: Retained Captures, species, size and fate

Added- Cam 2: Captures and discards; species, size and fate

Added- Cam 1: Floats, hooks and bait setting

Added- C1: Stern camera

Added- C2: Fishing deck 1

Added- C3: Fishing deck 2

AddedFigure 2. An example of 3-camera EM equipment installed on a longline, covering main areas of fishing and fish handling operations. View of the three cameras: (left panel) Stern camera - setting longline providing information on hooks, floats, mitigation techniques and bait; (middle panel) Fishing deck 1 - hauling information, captures and discards, species ID, size and fate; and (right panel) Fishing deck 2 - fate of the species, size, species ID (source: Digital Observer Services).

AddedTable 2 – General configuration and areas/activities covered by the EM system onboard tropical tuna longline vessels

AddedOn pole and line vessels, the minimum areas that cameras are recommended to cover are the area of bait fishing activity, the area of the fishing set and pole and line fishing activity (vessel stern site camera) and the working deck where catch is handled. On a typical Indian Ocean pole and line vessel, this will require at least two or three cameras to cover main fishing activity areas, fish handling operations and bait fishing.’.