The first meeting of the CFMC/WECAFC/OSPESCA/CRFM Working Group on Spawning Aggregations was held in Miami, United States of America, from 29 to 31 October 2013. The meeting brought together experts working on spawning aggregations of fish from all over Western Central Atlantic region. The Working Group noted with concern the ongoing declines in stocks of many aggregating species and particularly groupers and snappers in the Wider Caribbean Region, the reduced numbers of aggregations and the relatively smaller size of remaining aggregations. The Working Group also verified that the status of Nassau grouper, Goliath grouper and several other species stocks in the Wider Caribbean region should be considered "overexploited," and that some stocks can even be regarded as "depleted." The meeting issued a "Declaration of Miami," which included a recommendation to the fifteenth session of WECAFC on the establishment of a regional closed season for Nassau Grouper fisheries in the WECAFC area to protect spawning aggregations of this species.
The second meeting of the OSPESCA/WECAFC/CRFM/CFMC working group on Caribbean Spiny Lobster took place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 21 to 23 March 2018. The status of the Caribbean spiny lobster fishery was presented in the subregions of OSPESCA and the CRFM, as well as in Brazil, Cuba, the United States and Mexico. Delegates also learned about the progress in the implementation and definition of indicators of subcomponent 4A related to spiny lobster in the CLME + Strategic Action Plan and the preparation and contents of the SOMEE Report. A new expanded and updated proposal of a regional plan for the management of Caribbean lobster prepared in the context of the Ecolobster + sub-project of the CLME + project was also presented. In the same context, a harmonized system of data collection and evaluation of lobster stocks that allows for minimum common elements among countries for purposes of comparing results and estimating the spiny lobster stock status was presented. Additionally, advances in the design and implementation of a proposed regional standard for traceability of fishery products, with emphasis on the Caribbean lobster fishery, were shown. Terms of Reference of the working group were discussed and updated, and the 2016–2018 work plan was adopted. The working group also adopted a new definition in the identification and distribution of spiny lobster stocks in the Greater Caribbean. La segunda reunión del Grupo de Trabajo de la Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano (OSPESCA)/la Comisión de Pesca del Atlántico Centro-Occidental (COPACO)/ el Mecanismo Regional de Pesca del Caribe (CRFM por sus siglas en inglés)/el Consejo de Administración de la Pesquería del Caribe (CFMC por sus siglas en inglés) sobre la langosta espinosa del Caribe tuvo lugar en Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, del 21 al 23 de marzo de 2018. Se presentó el estado de la pesca de langosta espinosa del Caribe en las subregiones de OSPESCA y el CRFM, así como en Brasil, Cuba, Estados Unidos y México. Los delegados también se enteraron de los avances en la implementación y definición de indicadores del subcomponente 4A referido a la langosta espinosa en el Plan de Acción Estratégico del CLME+ y de la preparación y contenidos del Informe sobre el Estado de los Ecosistemas Marinos y Economías Asociadas (Informe SOMEE por sus siglas en ingles). También se presentó una nueva propuesta ampliada y actualizada de plan regional de ordenamiento de la langosta del Caribe preparado en el contexto del sub-proyecto Ecolangosta+ del proyecto CLME+. En este mismo contexto, se presentó una propuesta de un sistema armonizado de colecta de datos y evaluación de stocks de langosta que permita contar con elementos mínimos comunes entre los países para efectos de comparar resultados y estimar el estado de las poblaciones. Adicionalmente, se presentaron los avances en el diseño e implementación de una propuesta del estándar regional de trazabilidad de productos pesqueros, con énfasis en la pesquería de langosta del Caribe. Los Términos de Referencia para el Grupo de Trabajo fueron discutidos y actualizados, y se preparó el plan de trabajo 2016-2018. El grupo de trabajo adoptó una nueva definición en la identificación y distribución de los stocks de langosta espinosa en el gran Caribe.
The SAG discussed the outcomes of the work carried out by various joint working groups in 2012-2013, the fisheries resource status in the Wider Caribbean Region, a review of the current fisheries management performance and conservation measures in the WECAFC Region, and activities to be undertaken by WECAFC in 2014-2015. The SAG further discussed WECAFC collaboration with the Fisheries Resource Management System (FIRMS) and prepared a range of recommendations for consideration by the Fifteenth session of WECAFC.
