Report on the 2nd workshop on transversal variables : Nicosia, Cyprus ; 22-26 February 2016

The 2nd Workshop on the Transversal Variables took place in Nicosia from the 22 to the 26 February 2016 mainly to complete and fine-tine the work that has been initialised during the first Workshop that took place in Zagreb in January 2015 to tackle the issues related to the increasing need of having fisheries fleet economic data and fisheries biologic data on a level of disaggregation that would allow a proper interoperability between datasets to underpin bioeconomic modelling. For that, the group has worked on the following according to the Terms of Reference for the Workshop: 1. Assess the results of the new effort estimates following the trial implementation of the effort calculation method recommended at the WK on a MS level; 2. Assess to what extent the scenarios identified during the first WK represent the range of situations MS will find in their own data. When fishing trips outside of the scenarios are identified, devise the standard method to estimate effort for the missing situations; 3. Prepare the documentation deemed necessary, to be stored on a publicly accessible repository, that would serve as support for the estimation processes; 4. Decide on the most appropriate metrics of fishing effort for passive gears for vessels not required to complete logbooks and for those required to complete logbooks; and 5. Identify together with Member States any particular issues that still need to be clarified ahead of the 2017 data calls. Several analyses were carried out and conclusions taken. All ToRs were fully addressed and conclusions taken.