Workshop proposal to update the fishery-based research and data collection plan for the Ross Sea region toothfish fishery

The medium-term research plan for the Ross Sea toothfish fishery was adopted by the Scientific Committee in 2014. A subsequent data collection plan for fishing vessels and observers was implemented for the 2015/16 to 2019/20 fishing seasons. In 2019/20 and 2020/21, bycatch sampling was extended with a focus on the skate tagging programme. In 2022, the 5-year reports of activities in support of the Research and Monitoring Plan for the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area are expected to highlight progress and information gaps that could be incorporated into a revised fishery based research and data collection plan for fishing vessels and observers. New Zealand proposes a workshop to:

1. Identify fishery based medium-term research objectives,
2. Develop an associated fishery data collection plan to meet the research objectives,
3. Identify high priority non-Olympic fishery surveys or research activities, and
4. Identify voluntary programmes to develop and test novel data collection mechanisms