IFOP participated in the Chilean delegation at the 14th meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), held in Panama in early March (https://www.sprfmo.int/meetings/comm/14th-commission-meeting). The IFOP members who participated were the Executive Director, Gonzalo Pereira, and researcher Ignacio Payá. In his role as Vice-Chair of the Commission’s Scientific Committee, Payá participated in technical meetings held prior to the Commission meeting: 1) general coordination meeting for the Commission meeting, 2) workshop on Electronic Monitoring, and 3) “dialogue with stakeholders on the progress of Management Strategy Evaluation for jack mackerel fisheries” meeting.
Payá provided technical advice to the delegation, with special emphasis on conservation measures for jack mackerel and squid (jibia) fisheries, and on the Scientific Committee’s work plan. In the case of jack mackerel, the 2026 catch quota was agreed upon by consensus, and the working group was assigned to conduct an indicators and benchmark workshop in May in Peru, a workshop on Management Strategy Evaluation in June in the Netherlands, and to present a set of candidate management strategies for the 14th Scientific Committee to be held in September. Regarding squid fisheries, it was agreed by consensus to reduce the permitted effort limit in the convention area, and that the squid working group will conduct a stock assessment and catch quota recommendation, or another conservation measure, to be analyzed by the Commission in 2027. It was also agreed to hold a stock assessment workshop and to continue simulations using the SQUIDSIM program developed by I. Payá.
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