Link to Proceedings: 8th-IFOMC-2016-Proceedings
The 8th International Fisheries Observer & Monitoring Conference took place in the Hotel Bahia Resort, San Diego, USA from 29th August to 2nd September, 2016.
The overarching Vision of this meeting was: To develop, promote and enhance effective fishery monitoring programs to ensure sustainable resource management throughout the world’s oceans.
The Mission Statement was: To improve fishery-monitoring programs worldwide through sharing of practices and development of new methods of data collection and analysis. To provide a forum for dialog between those responsible for monitoring fisheries and those who rely upon the data they collect.
The conference was an outstanding success involving 248 participants from 31 countries including representatives from many observer programs from around the world, fishing industry groups, and end-users of the data that these programs collect. The conference format included our distinguished speakers, presented papers and posters, panel discussion sessions, workshops and less formal settings, such as trade exhibits, poster sessions and several social events.
The heart of this conference was with Keith Davis, other observers lost at sea, and their friends and families. Because of those losses and the International Fisheries Observer and Monitoring Conference’s belief that the safety and security of observers is paramount, one of the recommendations from the conference was that all Regional Fisheries Management Organizations adopt best practices of health, safety, and welfare policies and tools, including the implementation of individual satellite-enabled safety beacons and communication devices.
Another major theme to emerge during the week was the increasing role that technology is playing in the monitoring of fisheries, through video, satellite and onboard tablets.
The conference consisted of 12 themes that were reflected in the various keynote addresses, oral and poster presentations, workshops and the many Open Discussion periods. The Proceedings provided here provide significant detail about all these various formats in the form of extended (2-3 page) summaries of each presentation, the 2 workshops and detailed commentary obtained during the Open Discussion periods.
Link to Proceedings: 8th-IFOMC-2016-Proceedings
