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

The Assistant Executive Secretary assists the The Executive Secretary as necessary in order to effectively fulfill his responsibilities.

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 nine people: An overall Coordinator, a Head of Statistics, a Population Dynamics Expert, a Biostatistician, a database Programmer, an Information Technology specialist, a Technical Assistant and VMS Program Manager.

Dr. Victor Restrepo is the overall coordinator of the Department and oversees the ICCAT Web Site, as well as IT tasks related to compliance databases (e.g., VMS, vessel records).

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

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 two people: A Compliance Officer (to be hired) who will be primarily responsible for the Department, and a Technician who will assist with all tasks assigned to the Department. 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.

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.

Special Data Improvement Project

In 2004 the Commission approved an extra-budgetary contribution from the government of Japan for a Data Improvement Project. The overall goal of the project is to make improvements to the data collected and used by ICCAT by helping ICCAT members perform their capacity to collect and report the data that are required by the Commission.

The project started in December 2004 and is expected to be renewed annually for up to five years. The project finances a Coordinator.