The Secretariat of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) organized a capacity-building workshop in cooperation with the CMS Secretariat. The workshop was held in Muscat, Oman, on 18-22 October 2015 to support the implementation of the Regional Observer Scheme of IOTC. It was hosted by the Government of Oman.

Three experts from the CMS Secretariat provided training on the conservation of marine species listed under the Convention, and focused particularly on bycatch, safe handling and release of marine species as well as on the identification of sharks, rays and marine turtles.

Observer scheme managers from Iran, Pakistan and Oman successfully accomplished an expert training course with a specific focus on gillnet fisheries. The participants of the workshop were introduced to the Convention as well as to the work of the MOUs on Dugongs, marine turtles of Indian Ocean and South-East Asia, Sharks and the Albatross and Petrels Agreement relating to conservation and bycatch.

This workshop will strengthen the future cooperation between IOTC and the Convention on the conservation and management of CMS-listed marine species incidentally caught in IOTC fisheries

For more information about this project, please see:

http://www.cms.int/sharks/en/meeting/regional-capacity-building-workshop-support-progress-implementation-regional-observer-scheme