Fishery Officer (Data Analyst)

Organizational Setting The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for the economic, social, institutional, governance and policy aspects of FAO's activities related to fisheries and aquaculture and their development, with particular emphasis on human well-being, food security and poverty reduction; post-harvest utilization, marketing and trade with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and well-being of fishing communities; collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best available and up-to-date fishery statistics and for the dissemination of FAO's information on all aspects of world fisheries and aquaculture. The Division is also responsible for FAO's activities related to the management and conservation of the living aquatic resources used by fisheries and aquaculture, including the biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable and threatened species and habitats; management of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in accordance with modern management standards and best practices; development of fisheries technology, with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and well-being of fishing communities, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental organization responsible for the management of tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean. The IOTC was established in 1993 at the 105th Session of the Council of FAO under Article XIV of the FAO constitution.

The Commission has four key science based functions and responsibilities which enable it to achieve its objectives. Briefly these include: reviewing the status of the stocks and to gather, analyse and disseminate scientific information (including catch and effort statistics and other relevant data); supporting research and development activities in respect of the stocks and fisheries covered by the IOTC; adopting, on the basis of scientific evidence, Conservation and Management Measures (CMM) to ensure the conservation of the stocks covered by the Agreement; and reviewing the economic and social aspects of the fisheries.

The IOTC Secretariat has a dynamic data team that receives, reviews, compiles, safe-keeps and disseminates data on catch, fishing effort, individual fish lengths, and other biological parameters and socio-economics from IOTC, in accordance with the standards agreed by the Commission.

The position is located in the IOTC Secretariat in Victoria, Seychelles.

Reporting Lines The Fishery Officer (Data Analyst) reports to the Fishery Officer (Data Coordinator), under the overall guidance of the IOTC Executive Secretary.

Technical Focus Tuna fisheries data, capacity building and project management.

Key Results Collection and analysis of information, data and statistics and project/meeting services to support programme projects, products and services.

Key Functions • Collects and analyses relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology related information, data and/or statistics to support the delivery of programme projects as well as products and services. • Undertakes analysis, provides technical input for plans and reports and edits/revises technical/scientific documents. • Participates in the development of improved work methods, tools and systems. • Updates databases and web pages. • Participates in multidisciplinary project/work teams. • Collaborates in the development of training tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars, etc. • Participates in the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.

Specific Functions • Participates in the implementation of the Commission's data activities. • Assists in the collation, verification and input of fisheries data to the IOTC's integrated databases. • Estimates missing data using the appropriate statistical procedures. • Assists in the maintenance of IOTC databases and in the preparation of data sets is support of scientific and compliance related meetings. • Maintains appropriate up-to-date documentation of the data sets and associated procedures. • Assists in the preparation of progress reports on data collection activities for presentation to meetings of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies. • Participates in field activities in support of the implementation of data collection and management activities in IOTC countries, including assistance for the implementation of the IOTC Regional Observer Programme.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in fisheries science, biostatistics, biological sciences or a related field. • Three years of relevant experience in fisheries data management and statistics or a related field. • Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies • Results Focus • Team Work • Communication • Building effective relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions. • Extent and relevance of experience in fisheries data management. • Hands-on experience in designing and retrieving information from relational databases. • Practical experience with fisheries data analysis using R or comparable statistical tool/languages. • Ability to work to strict deadlines. • Knowledge of tuna fisheries, particularly those in the Indian Ocean.