About IFOMC

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.

Throughout the planning and execution of the conference, the Steering Committee and Host Team will strive:

Scope:

· To consider the subject of fishery monitoring broadly, including fisheries observer programs, emerging technologies, and other fishery dependent data collection approaches.
· To engage the international community of those involved in the collection and analysis of fishery-dependent data, including observers, observer program staff, scientists, fisheries managers, monitoring contractors, fishing industry, and ENGO’s.
· To remain mindful of the linkage between effective fisheries monitoring programs, sustainable resource management, and public acceptability of fisheries.

Process:

· To develop results-oriented sessions that address a broad range of fisheries monitoring topics, explore the diversity of the field, and emphasize leading-edge areas.
· To provide opportunities for delegates to participate in and contribute to all conference sessions through formal and informal processes.
· To promote the international exchange of ideas and best practices through sharing up to-date information on fishery monitoring programs throughout the world.
· To provide a forum for intra- and inter-discipline dialog amongst observers, program managers, scientists, industry members, resource managers, policy makers and others who work with fishery-dependent data.
· To establish work groups for certain important observer program topics that would benefit from inter-session communication and sharing of resources.
· To maintain and use a dedicated IFOMC website for dissemination of conference materials and other fishery monitoring program resources.
· To publish conference proceedings and disseminate them broadly.

2018 IFOMC Outcome Goals

To be considered successful, the 2018 IFOMC will:

· Improve the quality of fishery monitoring data through sharing of best practices for collection and analysis of information.
· Improve the use of fishery monitoring data to support sustainable resource management.
· Improve accessibility to fishery monitoring data.
· Support the development of new innovative data collection methods.
· Support the development of international safety standards for at-sea fisheries observers.
· Improve the training and safety of at-sea fisheries observers.
· Support the development of fisheries observer professionalism practices on an international basis.