WCPFC Area Data Submission formats

Annual Catch Estimates Data Fields Format

Document description

Annual Catch Estimates (ACE) data refer to the total catch estimates by flag, fleet, year, gear, and species. This data submission is arguably the most simple; however, there is complexity relative to reporting the appropriate subset of species for each ocean region, as detailed in the Sci-Data. In addition, for flag-states that have multiple fleets, the submission complexity increases. Please refer to vessels and fleet page for more details on existing fleet definitions - noting that for many flag-states, there are not sub-fleets, and therefore the fleet code would be null.

Fleets are generally defined based on characteristics of fishing operations and are used when grouping similar vessels or fleets within stock assessment models. Refer to Fleet reference table for the list of fleets.

For any queries/clarifications that are related to the data standards given below, please refer to this list of contacts:

👉 Data providers can also download ready-to-use CSV data template for Annual Catch Estimates (ACE).

CSV Data Templates

ACE Template

Data format details

Decimal values should use a decimal point (.) to indicate the decimal value, and commas (,) should be omitted.

Fields (with example data)

year	gear_code	flag_code	fleet_code	ocean_code	sp_code	retain_mt	discard_mt	comments
2025	L	JP	CS	WX	SKJ	1200.1	0.2	example line

Field descriptions

Table A1: Description of ACE reporting fields in the Excel template, and how they map to the SciData.

Field name	Type	Format	Description	Mandatory
year	Number	4 digit number	Year of reported catches	Yes
gear_code	String	Single letter gear code (see gear reference table)	Fishing gear type associated with catches	Yes
flag_code	String	2 letter flag-state code (UN/LOCODE)	Authorized flag state	Yes
fleet_code	String	2 letter code for sub-fleet (see fleet reference table)	Sub-fleet code	No
ocean_code	String	2 letter ocean code (see ocean reference tables)	Ocean sub-area based on SciData reporting requirements	Yes
sp_code	String	3 letter FAO species code (see Sci-Data for key species)	Species code associated with catch estimates	Yes
retain_mt	Number	Decimal	Metric tonnes of retained catch	Yes
discard_mt	Number	Decimal	Metric tonnes of discarded catch	Yes
comments	String		Additional comments	No

Notes:
The boundary between “western” and “eastern” Pacific areas is defined at 150° W.
“WN” (Western Pacific – Northern Hemisphere) refers to waters west of 150° W and north of the equator.
“WS” (Western Pacific – Southern Hemisphere) refers to waters west of 150° W and south of the equator.
These definitions are consistent with the WCPFC Statistical Area boundaries and should be used when assigning ocean_code values in Annual Catch Estimates.

References

Reference Table 1: Areas listing

ocean_code	ocean	notes
EP	EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN	Pacific Ocean east of 150W
NP	NORTH PACIFIC	Pacific Ocean north of equator
NX	WCPFC-SA North of the Equator
SP	SOUTH PACIFIC	Pacific Ocean south of the equator
SX	WCPFC-SA South of the Equator
WP	WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN	Pacific Ocean west of 150W
WX	WCFPC Statistical Area (SA)
OV	WCPFC-IATTC overlap area	WCPFC area east of 150W

Reference Table 2: Species Listing

FAO Code	Common Name	Scientific Name
ALB	albacore tuna	Thunnus alalunga
BET	bigeye tuna	Thunnus obesus
SKJ	skipjack tuna	Katsuwonus pelamis
YFT	yellowfin tuna	Thunnus albacares
MLS	striped marlin	Tetrapturus audax
BUM	blue marlin	Makaira mazara
BLM	black marlin	Makaira indica
SWO	swordfish	Xiphias gladius
SSP	shortbill spearfish	Tetrapturus angustirostris
SFA	sailfish	Istiophorus platypterus
BSH	blue shark	Prionace glauca
FAL	silky shark	Carcharhinus falciformis
OCS	oceanic whitetip shark	Carcharhinus longimanus
MAK	mako sharks	Isurus spp.
SMA	shortfin mako	Isurus oxyrinchus
LMA	longfin mako	Isurus paucus
THR	thresher sharks	Alopias spp.
ALV	thresher shark (vulpinus)	Alopias vulpinus
PTH	pelagic thresher	Alopias pelagicus
BTH	bigeye thresher	Alopias superciliosus
POR	porbeagle shark	Lamna nasus
SPN	hammerhead sharks nei	Sphyrna spp.
SPK	great hammerhead	Sphyrna mokarran
SPL	scalloped hammerhead	Sphyrna lewini
SPZ	smooth hammerhead	Sphyrna zygaena
SPQ	smalleye hammerhead	Sphyrna tudes
EUB	winghead shark	Eusphyra blochii
RHN	whale shark	Rhincodon typus
PBF	Pacific bluefin tuna	Thunnus orientalis

Reference Table 3: Vessel gear listing

gear_code	gear_desc
G	Drift Gillnet
H	Handline (large fish)
K	Handline (small fish)
L	Longline
N	Gillnet
O	Other (including artisanal troll)
P	Pole-and-line
R	Ringnet
S	Purse seine
T	Troll (albacore)
U	Group seine
V	Light boat
Z	Baby purse seine

Reference Table 4: List of Fleets

country_code	fleet_code	gear_code	is_active	ocean_codes	description
AO	NULL	O	1	AO	AO Other
AU	NULL	O	1	SP,SX,WP	Australia Other
AU	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Australia pole-and-line
AU	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Australia troll
AU	AF	S	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Australia purse seine, inside the Australian Fishing Zone
AU	AU	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Australia domestic and chartered longline
AU	EX	S	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Australia distant-water purse seine
AU	JV	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Australian joint-venture Longline
BZ	NULL	L	1	SP,SX,WP	Belize Longline
CA	NULL	S	1	SP,NP,WP	Canadian Purse seine
CA	NULL	T	1	NP,NX	Canada troll
CK	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Cook Islands longline
CK	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Cook Islands Artisanal
CK	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Cook Islands purse seine
CN	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	China offshore and distant-water longline
CN	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	China purse seine
CN	DW	L	1	SP,NP,NX,SX	China distant-water longline
EC	NULL	S	1	WX,EP,WP	Ecuador Purse seine
EP	NULL	L	1	SP,NP,EP	EP Longline
EP	NULL	O	1	EP	EP Other
EP	NULL	P	1	EP	EP Pole and line
EP	NULL	S	1	EP	EP Seiner
EP	NULL	T	1	SP,NP,EP	EP Troll
ES	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	EU - Spanish Longline
ES	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	EU - Spanish purse seine
FJ	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Fiji longline
FJ	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Fiji Artisanal Tuna Fisheries
FJ	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Fiji pole-and-line
FM	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,SX,WP	Federated States of Micronesia longline
FM	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Federated States of Micronesia purse seine
GU	NULL	L	1	NP,NX,WP	Guam longline
ID	NULL	G	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia gillnet
ID	NULL	H	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia handline (large-fish)
ID	NULL	K	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia small-fish hook-and-line
ID	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia longline
ID	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia unclassified
ID	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia pole-and-line
ID	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Indonesia troll
ID	DW	S	1	WX,WP	Indonesia distant-water purse seine
ID	ID	S	1	WX,WP	Indonesia domestic purse seine
IO	NULL	O	1	IO	IO Other
JP	NULL	G	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,SX,WP	Japan drift gillnet
JP	NULL	N	1	WX,SP,NP,WP	Japanese Gillnet
JP	NULL	O	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Japanese Other
JP	NULL	T	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Japanese Troll
JP	CS	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Japan coastal fleet longline
JP	CS	P	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Japan coastal fleet pole-and-line
JP	CS	S	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Japan coastal fleet purse seine
JP	DW	P	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,WP	Japan offshore and distant water pole-and-line
JP	DW	S	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,WP	Japan offshore and distant-water purse seine
JP	JP	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	Japan offshore and distant water longline
KI	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	Kiribati longline
KI	NULL	O	1	SP,NX,WP	Kiribati Artisanal
KI	NULL	P	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Kiribati pole-and-line
KI	NULL	S	1	WX,NX,WP	Kiribati purse seine
KR	NULL	G	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,SX,WP	Korea drift gillnet
KR	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	Korea longline
KR	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Korea purse seine
MH	NULL	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Marshall Islands longline
MH	NULL	S	1	WX,NX,WP	Marshall Islands purse seine
MX	NULL	O	1	WP	Mexico Other
MX	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Mexico purse seine
NC	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	New Caledonia longline
NC	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	New Caledonia pole-and-line
NI	NULL	S	1	WP	Nicaragua purse seine
NP	NULL	L	1	SP,NP	NP Longline
NP	NULL	T	1	SP,NP	NP Troll
NR	NULL	L	1	NP,NX,WP	Nauru longline
NR	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,NX,WP	Nauru Artisanal Tuna Fisheries
NR	NULL	S	1	WX,NX,WP	Nauru purse seine
NU	NULL	L	1	SP,SX,WP	Niue longline
NU	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Niue Artisanal
NZ	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	New Zealand longline
NZ	NULL	O	1	SP,SX,WP	New Zealand Other
NZ	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	New Zealand pole-and-line
NZ	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	New Zealand purse seine
NZ	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	New Zealand troll
PA	NULL	S	1	WP	Panama Purse seine
PF	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX	French Polynesia longline
PF	NULL	P	1	SP,SX	French Polynesia pole-and-line
PF	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	French Polynesia troll
PF		O	1	WX,SP,SX,EP,WP	French Polynesia Other
PG	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Papua New Guinea longline
PG	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Papua New Guinea pole-and-line
PG	NULL	S	1	WX,SX,WP	Papua New Guinea purse seine
PH	NULL	G	1	SP,NP,WP	Philippines gillnet
PH	NULL	H	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Philippines handline (large-fish)
PH	NULL	K	1	NP,NX,WP	Philippines handline (small-fish)
PH	NULL	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Philippines domestic longline
PH	NULL	O	1	NP,NX,WP	Philippines artisanal gears (not specified)
PH	NULL	R	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Philippines ringnet
PH	DW	S	1	WX,WP	Philippines distant-water purse seine
PH	PH	S	1	WX,NX,WP	Philippines domestic purse seine
PT	NULL	L	1	SP,SX,WP	EU - Portuguese Longline
PW	NULL	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Palau longline
PW	NULL	P	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Palau pole-and-line
SB	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	Solomon Islands longline
SB	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Solomon Islands pole-and-line
SB	NULL	S	1	WX,SX,WP	Solomon Islands purse seine
SN	NULL	L	1	SP,NP,NX,WP	Senegal Longline
SU	NULL	L	1	SP,NP,NX,WP	Soviet Union longline
SU	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Russia purse seine
SV	NULL	S	1	WP	El Salvador Purse seine
TK	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Tokelau Artisanal Tuna Fisheries
TO	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Tonga longline
TO	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,NX,WP	Tonga Artisanal Tuna Fisheries
TV	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Tuvalu longline
TV	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Tuvalu Artisanal Tuna Fisheries
TV	NULL	P	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Tuvalu pole-and-line
TV	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Tuvalu Purse seine
TW	NULL	G	1	SP,NP,NX,SX,WP	Chinese Taipei drift gillnet
TW	NULL	O	1	NP,NX,WP	Chinese Taipei Other
TW	NULL	R	1	WX,WP	Chinese Taipei domestic SEINE
TW	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Chinese Taipei purse seine
TW	DW	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	Chinese Taipei distant-water longline
TW	OD	L	1	NP,NX	Chinese Taipei offshore domestic longline (REDUNDANT -STLL)
TW	OS	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	Chinese Taipei small-scale Longline (STLL)
US	NULL	G	1	SP,NP	United States of America Gillnet
US	NULL	O	1	WP	United States of America (Sports fishery)
US	NULL	O	1	WP	United States of America (Unclassified)
US	NULL	P	1	SP,NP,NX,WP	United States of America Pole and line (Albacore)
US	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	United States of America purse seine
US	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	United States of America Troll (Tropical)
US	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	United States of America (Albacore) troll
US	AS	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX,WP	American Samoa longline
US	AS	T	1	WX,SP,SX,NX,WP	American Samoa (US) Troll
US	GU	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Guam (US) Longline
US	GU	T	1	WX,SP,SX,NX,WP	Guam (US) Troll
US	HW	H	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Hawaii (US) Handline
US	HW	L	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,WP	United States of America longline (Hawaii)
US	HW	P	1	SP,NP,NX,WP	Hawaii pole-and-line
US	HW	T	1	WX,NP,SX,NX,WP	Hawaii (US) Troll
US	HW	T	1	SP,NX,SX,WP	Hawaii (US) Troll and Handline
US	MP	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Northern Marianas Islands (US) Longline
US	MP	T	1	WX,SP,SX,NX,WP	Northern Mariana Islands (US) troll
US	US	L	1	WX,SP,NP,NX,WP	United States of America longline
VN	NULL	G	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Vietnamese Gillnet
VN	NULL	H	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Vietnamese Handline
VN	NULL	L	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Vietnamese Longline
VN	NULL	S	1	WX,NP,NX,WP	Vietnamese Purse seine
VU	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,NP,SX,NX	Vanuatu longline
VU	NULL	O	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Vanuatu Artisanal Tuna Fisheries
VU	NULL	S	1	WX,WP	Vanuatu purse seine
WF	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Wallis and Futuna Longline
WF	NULL	O	1	WX	Wallis and Futuna artisanal
WF	NULL	T	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Wallis and Futuna Troll
WN	NULL	L	1	SP,NP	North Western Pacific longline
WN	NULL	P	1		North Western Pacific pole-and-line
WN	NULL	T	1	SP,NP	North Western Pacific troll
WP	NULL	L	1	SP,NP,EP	WP Longline
WP	NULL	O	1	EP	WP Other
WP	NULL	P	1	EP	WP Pole and line
WP	NULL	S	1	EP	WP Purse Seine
WS	NULL	L	1	WX,SP,SX,WP	Samoa longline