This dataset lists catch of tuna, tuna-like and shark species from the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)from 1950 to 2015. Catches are stratified by year, species, fishing gear, vessel flag reporting country, area (FAO areas). It corresponds to the IOTC nominal catch (task1) dataset.

This dataset was downloaded on the IOTC website. It was then restructured to be in line with the Sardara database structure (columns normalization, names, etc.). However the content of data and the code lists were kept exactly as their are available in the source dataset.

The description below (caracteristics, specific issues and problems that need to be taken into account) is extracted from the IOTC web page where the dataset has been downloaded.

Caracteristics, specific issues and problems that need to be taken into account :

Note that the catch estimates in this data file differ from the 'best scientific estimates' of nominal catch used for stock assessment purposes and published on the dedicated meeting pages for each the IOTC Working Party. The best scientific estimates disaggregates catches recorded under species or gear aggregates recorded in the IOTC database reported by countries, which are then assigned by species or gear when the Secretariat has access to alternate sources of information such as statistical publications, fishery bulletins or other information.For this reason, catches by individual species or gear published on the IOTC meeting pages may differ from the nominal catches available from the data file available here.

Catches for 2015 are preliminary