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Fisheries of small pelagics, namely sardine (Sardina pilchardus), chub mackerel (Scomber colias) and European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in Morocco and Mauritania are extremely important from the socio-economic perspective. They account for the largest biomasses landed and contribut to the national economies through employment and exports of canned products, fish meal and fish oil, while also being a major source of protein for national consumption. Stocks of small pelagics in upwelling regions are characterised by strong variability in recruitment and abundance, with environmental drivers playing a key role. Most stock assessment approaches do not take into account environmental variability or interactions between species, in an ecosystem context. Understanding the drivers of fluctuations in the variability of small pelagics would contribute to improved management and conservation. For all the above reasons, the FarFish project is awarding significant efforts towards estimating population trends of small-pelagics provided by stock assessment models to find the link with environmental variables. The work is broken into two tasks i.e. the data collection part (WP2) and the modelling part (WP6). This document reports on the WP2 task, which includes compiling the data input for different models, like life history parameters and time series of catches, landings, effort, indices of abundance, as well as finding the sources to get different environmental variables. This deliverable reports on the biological and fisheries data compiled for the three key small pelagic species. Time series suitable for modelling were compiled from a number of sources, national and international as well as fisheries dependent and fisheries independent (research surveys). Life history parameters (growth, weight-length relationships) were also compiled from different sources. Catch data time series are available since the 1970s, with reconstructed time series (Sea Around Us project) extending the time series back to 1950. Fishing effort data is available from the early 1990s, with shorter time series of abundance indices available from research surveys, for Morocco. Time series of fishing effort for Mauritania are however lacking. Together with time series of environmental variables, the data compiled will feed WP6 where new approaches and models will be applied to gain a better understanding the population dynamics of the three small pelagics and contribute to improving management. WP6 will fit stock assessment models for these data. Resulting estimates will then be contrasted with different environmental variables and links found will contribute to gain a better understanding of the population dynamics for these three small pelagics. Disentangling the environmental effect over the population could also be further used to enhance management practices.

This document contains a report of the Decision support tools used for developing management recommendations (MRs) in each of the FarFish case studies. These tools have been selected in coordination with the production of the version two of the Management Recommendations for each case study. It continues the work program outlined in Deliverable 6.4 and 6.7 in collaboration with other work packages (WPs) of FarFish, mainly WP1, WP4 and WP7. The report shows the outputs of the satellite work in support of compliance. It summarizes the use of the FarFish-DLMtool developed for supporting stock assessment in data limited situations, including implementation, training applications and dissemination beyond FarFish. It also describes how some data limited methods were explored using small pelagics data from West Africa and the plan to use them to understand the effect of the environment on the population.

This is the third and final report on the FarFish data base (FFDB). Task 2.3 (Advancing biological and ecological knowledge) of WP2 in FarFish aims to compile and make available in the FFDB, developed in WP6, data for the relevant stocks in the different Case Studies (CS). The data feeds into models and management tools that provide better understanding of the biology and ecology of the respective species and ecosystems, and will be used by other WPs (1, 3, 4, 5 & 6) for stakeholder interaction, development of management recommendations (MRs), modelling, stock assessment and for visualisation tools. The two previous reports (D2.3 and D2.6) provided an overview of the data that was obtained and used as example data sets for the implementation of the Data Limited Methods (DLM) package and as input to the other WPs. In this report we focus on other sources of data, especially data that we were not able to obtain, namely Nansen survey and national research surveys. The report provides a comprehensive overview of Nansen surveys and national research survey for the CSs. It is clear that a plethora of data suitable for application of Data DLM exists, especially in the form of national pelagic and demersal research surveys that are more continuous than the Nansen surveys. Acquisition of Nansen data was hindered by bureaucratic procedures and we strongly recommend a revision of the Data Policy to facilitate access to data. We also recommend that Nansen surveys should take into consideration the requirements for assessment and management of CSs and regional fisheries; lack of continuous time series of sampling makes Nansen data of limited use for assessment and management purposes. Reluctance on the part of CS national institutes to provide national survey data for the FFDB limited the implementation of DLM. However, some example data sets were used to illustrate the possibilities of DLM and it is hoped that CS participants will bring their own national research survey data to the FarFish DLM course organized by WP7 with the collaboration of WP6 (planned for October 2021). We strongly recommend that CS partners explore the use of national survey and fisheries biology data for assessment of data limited stocks. The report also reviews data collected by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) observers and data collected by observers within the Data Collection Framework (DCF). It was concluded that the SFPA-observer data is of limited use for scientific advice purposes, while DCF data was much more complete and detailed, and could be useful for scientific advice. The final section provides an overview of the data available in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic tunas (ICCAT) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

This document presents the audit of a draft version of the second Management Recommendations (MRs) in the FarFish project. This MR2 draft was updated during the last months of the project considering the second audit recommendations, hence providing a more final MR within the project’s lifetime. The audit process is a fundamental step for the implementation of the Results-Based Management (RBM) approach. In RBM, the resource users are directly involved in the management and decision-making process. The relevant authorities continue defining the policy goals but delegate (partly) the responsibility for the planning and implementation of the management means to attain those goals to the resource users. The auditor, as an independent third party, should be able to assess the extent to which these goals have been met (Nielsen et al., 2017). In FarFish, the auditor is enacted by a research institute. However, this role can be taken by any organization with auditing capacity or by a joint audit committee designated by both parties. The audit of the second MRs revealed interesting results in terms of the implementation of the key activities planned for achieving the Outcome Targets (OTs). Several challenges were also found in the implementation and performance of the MRs. Some of the most common challenges referred to coordination and collaboration with the Coastal States or the acting Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO), although when this was in place, the success of the action considerably increased. As the MR of the case study (CS) 1 for the Southwest Atlantic high seas, presented the critical challenge of not having a RFMO, the MR aimed to contribute towards addressing this challenge. The CS2 for the Southeast Atlantic, on the contrary, with a well-established RFMO faced the critical challenge of limited fishing activities in the area, which was reflected in a relatively low interest from the EU operators involved in the project. The high-seas fisheries CS1 and CS2, were subject to a more qualitative and somewhat subjective audit, due to the nature of the OTs and the indicators set for them. The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) CSs on the other hand, reported more specific indicators towards improving knowledge and methods about the status of the different stocks. Focus was also placed on strengthening and increasing observer program coverage, with improved reporting methods and protocols, aiming to fully implement electronic reporting systems in the Coastal State with capacity to adequately process data from e-logbooks. Operators’ compliance was also targeted through data analysis of satellite signals from remote sensing systems (VMS and AIS). Finally, socio-economic targets were set in this second version of the MRs, with focus on data collection for catches, landings, processing, and trade, as well as market analysis and other socio-economic variables. The notable advancement from the MR1 to the MR2 showed extensive work that renders important results throughout the implementation of the RBM. For example, reports on the implementation of self-sampling programs for stock assessment, not only from the EU fleet but further, as in the case of Senegal involving artisanal fleet targeting the same species. In other cases, big data analysis wasconducted, adding evidence to the value of remote sensing as a tool for transparency and support compliance in fisheries activities (Ruiz et al., 2019). Furthermore, several protocols and documents were developed, which are ready for implementation by the coastal state authorities, such as the harmonized catch data protocol in Cape Verde, and self-sampling training materials and a specific protocol to improve on-board observations in Mauritania. However, several challenges were also found in the implementation and performance of the MRs. Challenges with data collection due to existing data sharing restrictions, timing, and delays of planned actions, with the added challenge of a world pandemic, as well as issues with participation and active collaboration in the programs, were found in several cases. More notable for the four SFPA CSs, was the clear difference in the success of the actions where adequate coordination and collaboration was in place with the Coastal States. The second audit process was conducted to the extent that the MRs were reported at the time of the audit. The second version of the MRs presented at this stage are not final, as work is still ongoing within the project. Therefore, this second audit is an intermediate revision of progress based on available results, limiting therefore the possibility to audit results from ongoing work not yet reported. Within the RBM, the audit framework allows for intermediate audits to assess performance every updated version of the MR, where frequency can be stipulated in the RBM contract. A final audit of the MRs should be planned within RBM to allow for the evaluation of all the actions taken and finalized within the framework. However, within FarFish, the final audit will not be possible due to time constraints and contractual specifications within the EU research and innovation action framework. Nevertheless, the implementation of this second audit framework should serve as a guideline to continue the evaluation of the future versions of the MRs developed within the RBM approach until their completion.

Background More than 20% of the catches of the European fishing fleet are caught in non-European waters. Access to fish in these waters is based on agreements with coastal states. EU pays for access to fish from surplus stocks. These agreements have been criticised, as the fisheries are sometimes poorly regulated, and management decisions are often based on limited knowledge. In addition, the level of compliance is considered low, and enforcement capabilities are limited. In many cases, the trust between different stakeholders involved in a fishery is low. The FarFish project aimed to overcome these challenges. Approach The FarFish project was designed around six case studies (CSs) in fishing areas where the European fleet is active, namely Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, Seychelles, and the international high-seas areas in the South East and South West Atlantic. This document serves as the second proposal for management recommendations (MR2) for each FarFish CSs. The MRs are arrangements between relevant management authorities and the operators in the respective CSs. The MR defines the actors/partners in the fishery and their roles, the agreed management objectives for the fishery, the management rules and regulations that apply, and other relevant details about the fishery. We apply the results-based management (RBM) when developing the MR in each CS. The RBM approach aims to reduce micro-management by involving stakeholders and increasing the degree of co-management by delegating responsibilities to resource users. According to this approach, the formal responsibility for developing the MRs is largely delegated to the resource users e.g. EU fishing fleet. Yet, within the FarFish CSs, the formal responsibility is a common venture involving both the authorities in the EU and in the coastal state in question, and the European operators. This means that third state (e.g., China, Korea, Japan, Russia) activity is left outside these MRs. However, getting these MRs in place creates arenas for dialogue and allows for informal discussions with third country authority and operator representatives. This may in turn facilitate common agreements to enhance sustainability in the fishery in question. The FarFish project does not intend to replicate measures that are already being worked on within the contexts of the SFPA agreements, national management authorities, or RFMOs. We, therefore, address issues that can potentially support these previously initiated measures and thereby be of added benefit to authorities and operators. To ensure relevance and impact FarFish involved respective CS authorities, RFMOs, and other stakeholders, to decide on where the project can be of greatest benefit, to support the ongoing measures. This report contains the revised MR2 for the six FarFish Case studies.

The FarFish in-country short course (Task 7.6) was delivered as a hybrid online/in person workshop September 29th-October 1st 2021. The course was broken into two sections, commencing with an open seminar on Data Limited Methods, and followed by a closed workshop on the use of the FarFish DLM Tool. A total of 50 participants attended the open seminar, and nine (9) attendees took part in the closed workshop that followed. The timing of the course, delivery methods, and target audience were modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scope and topic for the course were selected based upon the Training Needs Assessments (TNAs) carried out the first year of the project, in combination with other meetings and discussions with project partners. It was determined through those dialogues that the course would be most beneficial and useful to a wider variety of stakeholders and partners if it were offered as a regional course, rather than an in-country course targeting only one country. It was determined through the TNAs and subsequent conversations with case study partners that the concept of data limited methods for stock assessment, and more specifically, the Data Limited Methods (DLM) Tool developed through the FarFish project would be the most useful topic for the course. The course was originally intended to be held in Mindelo, Cabo Verde in April 2020, and was to be regional in focus, with participants nominated by their institutions. The FarFish case study partners were the original intended audience for this course, with participants hailing from the FarFish case study partner institutions, namely INDAP/IMar in Cabo Verde, ISRA/CRODT in Senegal, IMROP in Mauritania, and SFA in Seychelles. When it became clear that travel limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic would make an in-person regional course impossible, a new solution was developed in which a hybrid online/in-person model could be used. As it is very difficult to remotely deliver the one-on-one attention required to support learning in the workshop to practice the DLM tool, the course was broken into two sections; one open to the public providing a general overview of Data Limited Methods, and how they can be useful in stock assessment, and the second a closed, intensive workshop for fellows of the GRÓ-FTP studying stock assessment as well as scientists from the case study countries who were interested to attend, albeit remotely. The course was delivered from GRÓ-FTP’s home institution, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute in Iceland. The seminar part of the DLM course was held on the morning of September 29, 2021, and was open to participants who registered online beforehand, as well as those attending in person through the GRÓ-FTP six-month programme. In total, 30 people were onsite for the seminar, and 20 joined via teams. The seminar began with an introduction to another EU Horizon 2020-funded research project, EuroSea, in which the use of remote sensing via the Copernicus system was described. The seminar then included a combination of lectures and activities related to the theoretical development of data limited methods, and how they have evolved over time. The closed part of the workshop was attended by nine (9) individuals, from eight (8) countries. Notably, these include representatives from all the original target audience of FarFish case study institutions, including Senegal, Mauritania, Cabo Verde, and Seychelles, with the addition of GRÓ-FTP stock assessment fellows, hailing from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, and El Salvador as well. Participants from Seychelles and Cabo Verde joined the workshop online, and the others were onsite. The course was taught by Margarita Rincon (IEO, Spain) and Kamarel Ba (ISRA/CRODT, Senegal)., The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 727891/FarFish project.

The FarFish project published a so called “Legacy booklet” towards the end of the project, which is intended to summarise progress and key results to a wider audience e.g. to stakeholders that do not have scientific background or expert knowledge on the main project topics. The publication of this “project summary report aimed at a wider audience” was described in the original project description as follows: Task 7.8 Project summary report aimed at a wider audience: In order to make the project results widely known and understood by everyone with an interest in the subject, the project coordinator will produce a project summary report at the end of the project. The report will describe in layman-terms the project as a whole, the main challenges and the most important results. This will facilitate dissemination to a wider audience, which will be important when considering the wide range of stakeholders connected to the subject. The ”Legacy booklet” is presented in this report, The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 727891/FarFish project.

This report is the final deliverable of work package four (WP4) within the FarFish project. The WP is titled “Development of management recommendations” and has focused on developing so called Management Recommendations (MRs) within the FarFish case studies. The MR concept is based on Results-Based Management (RBM) approaches, with the aim to delegate management responsibilities to resource users. The aim or this reportis to review the RBM process applied in FarFish and the lessons learned in the case studies. The report is in the format of a peer-review journal paper, which is planned to be submitted to a journal shortly. Chapter 2 contains the paper.

The model speci fications presented below correspond to those benchmarked in WKPELA 2018. The main difference is that results are presented now for the end of the second quarter of each year instead of being presented at the end of the fourth quarter. This responds to practical modi cations in the de nition of the assessment year, now it goes from July 1st to June 30th of the next year. Model speci fications for this year are presented in section 2.2 and ??, as well as estimated parameters after optimization in Table 2.

Improving scientific advice to fishery managenent for resources of interest for Spain in Atlantic waters, IMPRESS

One of many products of the FarFish project is the FarFish Data Base (FFDB), which is intended to make the data collected within the various tasks within the project available for project partners in an operational way. The FFDB is a repository for vide range of data, which allows users to easily upload new data and make queries e.g. for input to visualisation- and decision support tools developed in other tasks in the project. The FFDB is at present available for project partners but will be open access on the FarFish webpage soon and towards the end of the project the relevant datasets will be uploaded from FFDB to OpenAIRE; the data repository of the H2020 Open Research Data Pilot. A data input protocol for the FFDB (D6.1) was developed within the first four months of the FarFish project. The work on the development of the FFDB has continued since then and the core infrastructure for data collection and on-line visualisation tools was available by the end of the first year of the project (D6.2). This document describes the progress that has been made since then and the current state of the suite of tools developed (FFDB Upload, FarFish DLMtool, FarFish DLMgui, FarFish SPiCtgui and FarFish Maps) in turn, as well as any ancillary work. The report does as well include a discussion on the work ahead in developing the FFDB further and utilising it in different tasks for the reminder of the FarFish project.

This report summarises the progress and current state of the FarFish Data Base (FFDB). One of many products of the FarFish project is the FFDB, which is intended to make the data collected within the various tasks within the project available for project partners in an operational way. The FFDB is a repository for vide range of data, which allows users to easily upload new data and make queries e.g. for input to visualisation- and decision support tools developed in other tasks in the project. The FFDB is at present available for project partners only but will be open access on the FarFish webpage soon and towards the end of the project the relevant datasets will be uploaded from FFDB to OpenAIRE; the data repository of the H2020 Open Research Data Pilot. &nbsp

This report provides an overview of the interactive platform developed within the FarFish project to integrate codes, visualization and data interaction tools for the Case Studies within the project. The overall objective the work described in the repot has been to develop tools that provide added value, relevance and usefulness in support of management and decision making for the actors involved in each of the case studies in the project. To achieve this, the project has developed a suite of R-based tools that let users upload and analyse their own data purely through a web browser, so they can be used on any computer without installation or knowledge of the R programming language. The source code for the tools is also public and hosted on GitHub, allowing institutions to manage their own installation if required in the future. The FarFish-DLMtool is an interactive tool where the users can incorporate their data and obtain pertinent information in return. The user guide provided in this report allows anyone to use the tool after the project ends. In addition, all parts of the project are open source, which means the code behind the tool and the tool itself will remain available for anyone to use and adapt, and thus remaining useful beyond the lifetime of the project. This report is structured in three parts, the first part corresponds to a technical user manual of the FarFish-DLMtool for people inside and outside FarFish, the second is an impact evaluation of the tool and the third describes its implementation for four bycatch species in FarFish case studies.