The SIODFA data archive covers information and data relating to SIODFA activities in the SIOFA Area for the period 1999 to date. It constitutes over two Gigabytes of information that includes 1040 folders, 6000 individual documents and data files, and image files. A small number of reports are available in hard copy only and would, if required, need to be digitised.
SIODFA proposed making the data archive available to SIOFA at the recent meeting of the Scientific Committee (SC9 report, paragraph 423), and the Scientific Committee recommended that the MoP consider this offer and task the SC to consider how to utilise this information. The SC also suggested that a first step could be to catalogue the information, including identifying any data that are confidential (SC9 report, paragraph 426).
This archive contains valuable historical information covering:
- discussions of meetings relating to the formation of SIOFA,
- data on vessel (n=87) participation in the fisheries prior to the commencement of SIOFA,
- a catalogue of known bathymetric features (n=348) that have been fished or are believed to be suitable habitat for deepwater fishes,
- SIODFA meeting reports (n=60) covering most aspects of the fisheries operations,
- travel reports (n=27) covering a range of relevant non-SIOFA meetings,
- SIODFA presentations (n=17) describing their activities,
- SIODFA Internal Technical Reports that are not currently available in the public domain,
- vessel Scientific Observer reports from prior to the start of the SIOFA Observer programme,
- a large number of data files covering most aspects of fishing industry operations within the SIOFA Area that are unlikely to be available elsewhere, and
- images of historical SWIO vessels and vessel operations.
A summary of the data in the SIODFA data archive is given as Annex A of paper MoP-11-INFO-13 (https://siofa.org/sites/default/files/meetings/mop/MoP-11-INFO-13-Rev1_SIODFA-data-archive.pdf).
Objectives:
- Data index and meta-data catalogue
- Transfer of a copy of the data archive would require indexing and creating a meta-data catalogue of the information to enable decisions on the value and potential use of the information it contains.
This would include:
- Evaluate whether the respective file information has value and is worth preserving and making available to SIOFA and its scientific work program.
- Create electronic copies of archive material. Archived material can be provided to the secretariat for scanning and storage. Some consultation with Ross Shotton will be required when naming the files and allocating a confidentiality rating.
- Scan paper copies of documents relating to the formation of SIOFA.
- Create an electronic data set (excel or access) of the vessel catalogue.
- Create an electronic data set (excel or access) of the bathymetric features including latitude, longitude, feature name, number of sets and vessel name.
- Scan paper copies of meeting reports.
- Create an electronic archive for the SIODFA presentations.
- Create an electronic data set (excel or access) of the observer data, and scan any paper observer reports.
- Create an electronic data set (excel or access) of the fishing industry operations.
- Scan the images to electronic files.
- Provide all the electronic data to the Secretariat.
- Developing an appropriate index and meta-data catalogue of the information above.
- Assigning an appropriate level of confidentiality for each document and data set. Most documents are likely to be suitable for public access, but there are likely to be some data that should have restricted access due to commercial confidentiality.
- Describe and present the data archive index and meta-data catalogue to the Scientific Committee and MoP for evaluation and determination of future access.
Draft Terms of Reference for this project are presented as Annex B of paper MoP-11-INFO-13 (https://siofa.org/sites/default/files/meetings/mop/MoP-11-INFO-13-Rev1_SIODFA-data-archive.pdf).