Workshop on the manual for genetic sampling from fisheries products in the NAFO Area (WKGENMAN)

The Workshop on the manual for genetic sampling from fisheries products in the NAFO area (WKGenMan) worked to respond to a special request for advice from the European Commission on the International Manual of Procedures for genetic sampling (IMP), an EU proposal to the Standing Committee of International Control (STACTIC) of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) to guide the collection of samples from fisheries products for genetic analysis that can result in unequivocal species identification. In this report the workshop reviews the adequacy of the IMP for guiding the collection, preservation, and analysis of genetic material. During the review a series of recommendations to clarify/improve the manual were highlighted. In particular, it was emphasized that the protocol should be tuned after preforming a pilot study in real conditions and that if samples are correctly collected and stored, they could last in good condition for months, which is much longer than the original five days stated in the protocol. In general, it was appreciated the importance of the manual to strengthen the ability to control for compliance with species labelling, contribute to a stronger capacity and to a more efficient fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.