The CWP, supported by the participating organizations, serves as the premier international and interorganizational forum for agreeing common definitions, classifications and standards for the collection of fishery and aquaculture statistics. It has developed common procedures for statistics collation which have streamlined processes and reduced the burden on the statistical offices of national fisheries and aquaculture production, as well as providing technical advice to participating organizations on fishery-related and aquaculture-related statistical matters, and facilitating the publication of methodological and reference documents.

The Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP) provides a mechanism to coordinate the statistical programmes conducted by regional fishery bodies and other intergovernmental organizations with a remit for fishery statistics.

Main function:

- To continually review fishery statistics requirements for research, policy-making and management;

- To agree on standard concepts, definitions, classifications and methodologies for the collection and collation of fishery statistics;

- To submit proposals for the coordination and streamlining of statistical activities among the relevant intergovernmental organizations.