Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary is responsible for the selection and administration of the staff of the Commission and oversees the implementation of the main functions for the Commission, such as:

(a) coordination of research programs;
(b) preparation of budget estimates for review by the Commission;
(c) authorization of the disbursement of funds in accordance with the budget;
(d) accounting for the funds of the Commission;
(e) arrangement of cooperation with sister organizations;
(f) compilation of necessary fishery statistics;
(g) preparation of scientific, administrative and other reports

Assistant Executive Secretary

(Vacancy)

Department of Research, Statistics and Information Technology

Because of its mandate to manage and conserve tuna fishery resources, ICCAT members carry out a wide spectrum of scientific research and monitoring activities. The Secretariat is directly involved in coordinating some of these activities, although much of the practical work is carried out by the Contracting Parties. The Secretariat maintains a large number of databases containing information on fishery statistics useful for stock assessment, as well as compliance-related records. The Department of Research, Statistics and Information Technology is staffed by seven people: A Population Dynamics Expert, a Fishery Data Analyst, a IT Coordinator, a database Programmer, an Information Technology specialist, a Technical Assistant and VMS Program Manager.

Dr. Laurence Kell oversee activities related to coordination with SCRS on stock assessments and other scientific matters

Dr Mauricio Ortiz is responsible for developing analyzes of the various ICCAT databases used in stock assessments and for providing scientific managment advice..

Mr. Carlos Palma oversee activities related to the creation and maintenance of databases, as well as all of the computer and networking needs of the Secretariat.

Main Tasks: Data requests; Standards for data submission; Database development; Database user interfaces; Data quality control; Data extraction and publication; Web site management; IT management; Tagging inventory; Preparation of reports; SCRS coordination.

Department of Compliance

Over the last few years, the Commission has increasingly adopted a number of Recommendations and Resolutions that require CPCs to report various types of information such as vessel lists, compliance reports, etc. The amount of this information that needs to be assimilated by the Secretariat and transmitted to the Commission is such that a Department of Compliance is necessary to accommodate this need. In addition, queries received routinely about the application or interpretation of ICCAT regulations are becoming increasingly complex, and it is necessary to dedicate sufficient time to answer these delicate issues. The Department will be staffed by three people: A Compliance Officer (to be hired) who will be primarily responsible for the Department, a Technician who will assist with all tasks assigned to the Department and a data entry assistant. The Executive Secretary will give overall supervision to the Department.

Main Tasks: Drafting Compliance Tables; maintaining vessel lists; inventory of vessel chartering; bluefin tuna farming reports; data and validation from ICCAT Statistical Document and BFT Catch Documentation Programs; Compendia of management regulations; Requests for Cooperating Status; Requests for observer status; Summary table of actions; Annual Reports; Compliance Queries.

Ms. Carmen Ochoa carmen.ochoa@iccat.int Compliance Officer. Joined ICCAT X-2007.

Ms. Jenny Cheatle jenny.cheatle@iccat.int Technical Officer. Joined ICCAT VII-1994.

Ms. Aldana Vieito aldana.vieito@iccat.int Data entry, joined ICCAT II-2010.

Department of Translation and Publications

The Commission's work involves numerous tasks related to the compilation, adoption, translation and publication of meeting reports and scientific articles. The Department of Translation and Publications is responsible for these tasks as well as the webpage design. The Department is staffed by six people: A Department Head who is primarily responsible for the Department; a Technical Officer who assists with all tasks assigned to the Department and also serves as English Translator; and, two Spanish and two French Translators.

Main Tasks: Translation; Formats; Rapporteuring; Report Adoption; Compilation of Reports; ASFA entries; FIRMS entries; Coordination of Peer Reviews of scientific papers; Electronic Posting; Communications; Webpage design.

Department of Administration and Finance

The Commission has grown considerably with regards to tasks and the personnel hired by ICCAT to carry out its mandate. Within the Secretariat, administrative and financial tasks have been consolidated in the Department of Administration and Finance . The Department is comprised of eight people, a Department Head, two accounting assistants, a purchasing assistant, an administrative secretary, an administrative assistant to the Executive Secretary and two support staff members in charge of copying and mailing.

Main Tasks: Budget preparation and control; Accounting; Financial Report; Administrative Report; ICCAT Meetings; Special funds; Human Resources within the Secretariat; Purchasing and leasing; Travel requests; Reception; Archives; Contact information management; Library and publications inventory; Photocopying and scanning; Mailing.

Audits of the Commission's accounts and expenditures are carried out by an external firm.

ICCAT-Japan Data & Management Improvement Project (JDMIP)

Following the Special Data Improvement Project started in 2004, a new five-year Special Project for the Improvement of Data and Management started in December 2009 with a contribution from the government of Japan. The primary objective of this new phase project is to help ICCAT members perform their capacity of data collection, reporting and effective implementation of ICCAT measures.

The project finances a Coordinator.

ICCAT Atlantic wide research programme for Bluefin Tuna (GBYP)

In 2009, the Commission approved an extra-budgetary contribution for a complex, Atlantic-wide Research Program for Bluefin Tuna (GBYP). The overall goal of the Program is to improve the scientific basis to formulate management decisions for bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Program includes a list of actions to be carried out over various years, such as recovering basic data collection, improving understanding of key biological and ecological processes or improving assessment models and the provision of scientific advice.

The Program, which planned for a five-year period, started in January 2010. The Funds for the first year have been provided to the Secretariat to start the Program and such funding is expected to be renewed annually for up to five years. A Coordinator, hired under the Program funds, is in charge of implementing the Program's activities. A Steering Committee comprised of the SCRS Chair, the two rapporteurs of the Bluefin Tuna Species Group, an external expert and the ICCAT Executive Secretary will oversee the Program.