The 13th Focal Points Meeting of the NOWPAP Data and Information Regional Activity Centre (DINRAC) was held on 9-10 July 2015 in Dalian, China. DINRAC focal points and experts attended the meeting along with representatives from other three NOWPAP Regional Activity Centres (CEARAC, MERRAC and POMRAC). Representatives of a local university and environmental NGO also attended as observers. The meeting reviewed the progress of the implementation of the DINRAC activities in the current biennium (2014-2015) and agreed on the DINRAC work plan and budget for the next biennium (2016-2017). The meeting discussed 8 project proposals prepared by the focal points of China, Japan and Russia, and (after careful consideration) agreed to submit the following four activities for approval by the 20th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM):
- Compilation of marine environmental standards used in the member states.
- Development of DINRAC website including updating existing databases, and visualizing data through web-based GIS (continued from 2014-2015).
- Compilation of major marine environmental data available in the member states (continued from 2014-2015).
- Collection of data and information on threatened marine species (second phase of the project implemented in 2014-2015).
