The NTFSRs form SPCs main delivery “vehicle” for scientific advice relating to tuna fisheries as provided to SPC member countries and territories. More specifically these reports serve a number of purposes, including to:

1. Document scientific advice provided into Tuna Management Planning (TMP) and associated processes, including Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management consultations.
2. Improve national government and stakeholder understanding of their domestic fisheries, fishery resources, and a range of factors influencing their performance.
3. Provide a longer term reference source to assist the day to day decision making processes and work of the PICT governments.
4. Improve OFP scientists understanding (and record) of fishery dynamics at the subregional level, to inform regional stock assessments and subregional analyses. FFA country NTFSRs are also now a reference source for the FFA fishery management advisory unit.

In general, the NTFSRs are initiated in advance of each SPC members TMP processes and typically involve the attachment of a national fisheries officer to the OFP for 1-3 weeks to facilitate collaboration and drafting of the NTFSR (see “National Attachments”). SPC asks that countries requesting an NTFSR do so at least 6-9 months in advance of the time at which that information is required for national processes, and give consideration to exactly what types of scientific information and advice are required.

Further information regarding how SPC members can request an NTFSR or other scientific advice and support from the OFP can be obtained by contacting the Principal Fisheries Scientist in the Stock Assessment section of the OFP.

A typical NTFSR may comprise the following structure; however this varies significantly depending on what the countries requests and requires to be included in the report:

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Data status
• Regional and local climatic and oceanographic processes -
• Fishery characterization
• Stock Status and national level implications
• Indicative yields
• Bycatch species analyses (including risk assessment and shark interactions analyses)
• CPUE analyses
• Effort distribution and level analyses
• Fishery interaction analyses