NPFC At-Sea Regional Observer Program: potential scientific components

To support the COM direction to continue the consideration of elements of an NPFC observer program, the SC responded to 6 questions from the TCC Chair in 2024 about data needs to inform decisions about the development of a regional observer program (ROP) in the NPFC’s Convention Area. At COM09 in 2025, the Commission endorsed the TCC08’s recommendation that the TCC and SC Chairs continue to work intersessionally towards identifying the potential data needs for a broader Regional Observer Program. The TCC Chair has since asked SC to respond to 5 new questions. The SC convened SWG OP 2025-01 on 30 July 2025 to discuss initial responses to these questions. Members agreed to iteratively review and update SC responses summarized in this working paper (WP) between SWG OP 2025-01 and SC10. SC Members also agreed to identify at least 1-2 data types for NPFC’s priority species to inform the design of a ROP and ultimately improve stock assessments of these species (this was one of the TCC questions in 2024). Members provided suggestions to clarify SC’s initial responses to the TCC Chair’s 2025 questions and the 2024 question identified above in two previous drafts of this working paper. The Chairs of SC’s subsidiary groups and the Leads of SC’s Small Working Groups also contributed to the last table in this WP about the types of data and their units that could be collected to improve stock assessments of priority species. The TCC Vice-Chair reviewed the draft of this WP submitted to SC10 and asked for clarification. SC will discuss the WP and TCC Chair’s questions, and revise it as needed during SC10. The WP will then be communicated to the TCC before TCC09.