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|  The FAO uses the FISHSTAT reporting system to collate global statistics on catch and production from more than 220 countries and for over 1000 species of aquatic organisms considered to be of significant commercial importance. The FAO has developed an Internet-based Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS) , through which access to all FAO fishery statistics will become possible. Data is intended to provide management with a reliable basis for the interlinked management domains of policy, planning and implementation. It is necessary, therefore, to consider the full range of data requirements for an information system from which the three interlinked domains can draw. This suggests the need to extend data collection for the purpose of also providing economic, financial and socio-cultural information.Well informed formulation of policy, the elaboration of plans and the management of fisheries and aquaculture, relies on the collection of basic data on fishers, catches, fishing effort, prices, values and other related information, such as size at capture and length frequencies of target species. | | | | While a variety of statistical software packages is commercially available, there is no commercial package to assist fisheries Department in their effort to collect, assemble, check, process and report fishery statistics. Some packages have been produced through bilateral assistance. FAO has produced, develops and distributes ARTFISH (Approaches, Rules and Techniques for Fisheries statistical monitoring) a software software package to assist users in methodological and operational aspects of planning, establishing and running a statistical system for fisheries. The collection of fishery statistics usually falls under the government's fisheries department or ministry. However, some of the data needed may be collected by other government offices such as the trade and industry ministry (production and imports/exports data) or the finance ministry (data on prices/values). This requires good co-ordination or the integration of data systems. The adequacy of financial and human resources is frequently a constraint in the collection of adequate data. | | | | The FAO is the only source of comprehensive global fishery statistics. It collects statistical data from national reporting offices and uses estimates when data are lacking or are considered unreliable. The FAO encourages standardised data submission procedures and the use of international classifications to ensure that the collected statistics are comparable across countries. Data collected is disseminated through both printed and electronic publications and aggregated data is also available through the FAO internet site. | | | | |
 | | | | | Fishery Statistics: Reliability and policy implications
by FAO, FAO 01 February 2002 | |
| | 12 February 2002 A recent scientific article in Nature indicated that China?s marine capture fishery production for 1995-1999 has been overstated in Chinese statistics submitted to and published by FAO. The paper states that a consequence of this is that global marine capture fishery production - excluding Peruvian anchoveta - has probably been declining since 1988 rather than remaining fairly constant as indicated by the statistics. According to the authors from the University of British Columbia (UBC), this would have led to understating the degradation of world fisheries and wrong policy and investment decisions. The issue has been subsequently taken up in a number of newspapers and web media including The Economist. While usefully drawing attention of the wider public on the importance of reliable statistics for fisheries management and monitoring, the articles also reflected a number of misconceptions about: (1) FAO?s understanding of Chinese statistics; (2) FAO?s role in global fisheries statistics; and (3) the possible consequences of an over-estimate of China?s fisheries production on global fisheries management advice, policy and contribution to food security. | |
Read more at http://www.fao.org/fi/st ... jan02.asp.
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| Serge Garcia
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1076 Topics - 5135 Related Knowledge - 2534 Members - 34 Editors |
