Definition of standard data-exchange format for sampling, landings, and effort data from commercial fisheries

A data format for sampling, landings, and effort data from commercial fisheries is defined and suggested as a standard for the exchange of data between partners in the community of fishery research, advice, and management of the Northeast Atlantic, including the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

The format is defined for comma-separated value (CSV) and extensible markup lan-guage (XML) files. Code lists and a range of data-checking criteria are part of the format.

The data aggregation level is as low as possible while still respecting data confidenti-ality issues. The format fulfils all the requirements given in the new Data Collection Regulation (EC, 2008a, 2008b) for these data types.

The history, background, and scope are presented, together with the principles adopted during development.