Scientific Process

Scientific Committee (SC)

The Scientific Committee (SC) has been established as an advisory body to the Commission. The main activities of the SC are as follows:-

• assess and analyse the status and trends of the population of SBT;
• coordinate research and studies of SBT;
• report to the Commission its findings or conclusions, including consensus, majority and minority views, on the status of SBT stock and, where appropriate, of ecologically related species;
• make recommendations, as appropriate, to the Commission by consensus on matters concerning the conservation, management and optimum utilisation of SBT;
• consider any matter referred to it by the Commission.

Role of the Independent Chair of the SC and the Advisory Panel to the Scientific Process of CCSBT

In accordance with the recommendation of the Report of the 1998 Peer Review Panel (Dr Jean-Jacques Maguire, Dr Patrick J. Sullivan and Dr Syoiti Tanaka), the CCSBT has established an Advisory Panel to provide external input to its stock assessment and scientific processes. It has also appointed an independent chairperson for the Scientific Committee.

The Chair of the SC and the members of the Advisory Panel are as follows:-

The Duties of the independent chair of the SC are to:-

• circulate the draft agenda through the Secretariat;
• declare the meeting schedule, and open and close meetings of the SC;
• direct discussions in the Meetings, to ensure that the work of the SC adheres to the scientific principles of demonstrable evidence, statement of assumptions and examination of logic, and to ensure observance of these Rules;
• facilitate reaching consensus to the extent possible;
• accord the right to speak and to limit the time allowed for speaking;
• rule on points of order, subject to the right of any Member to request that any ruling by the Chair be submitted to the SC for decision;
• ascertain if consensus exists;
• in relation to each meeting of the SC, to sign, on behalf of the SC, a report of the proceedings of the meeting for transmission to the Commission and present such reports to the Commission;
• to convey to the Executive Secretary any instructions determined by the SC;
• the authority to call meetings of the representatives of the Members after conferring with the representatives; and
• to exercise other powers and responsibilities as provided in the Rules of Procedure for the Commission and make such decisions and give such directions as will ensure that the business of the SC is carried out effectively and in accordance with its decisions.

The Advisory Panel terms of reference are:-

• to participate in all meetings of the SC and other scientific meetings as requested by the Commission;
• to help to consolidate parties' views to facilitate consensus;
• to incorporate their views in SC reports and provide to the SC and CCSBT in the form of a report of their own views on stock assessment and other matters.