Page 38 - IB December 2021

Fisheries

Manu Tupou-Roosen Rupert Howes Dr Sagaalofa Clark Glen Holmes
FISHERIES COMMISSION ADOPTS

TROPICAL TUNA MEASURE

By Bernadette Carreon The Pew Charitable Trusts said while the decision on a tropi-
cal tuna measure was welcome, the member nations include
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Pacific countries and distant water fishing nations such as
(WCPFC) has adopted a revised tropical tuna measure to China, US, Taiwan, and the European Union failed to act on
keep the stocks of yellowfin, skipjack, bigeye, and albacore various issues facing the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
healthy. “Costly and inefficient negotiations over basic management
Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Chief Executive Of- of valuable tropical tunas at this year’s WCPFC left little room
ficer Dr Sagaalofa Clark welcomed the measure’s adoption to address critical issues such as the long-term health and
saying it has performed well in the past. sustainable supply of these fisheries, and measures to prevent
“The measure had performed well in the previous three illegal fishing and harm to vulnerable species, like sharks.
years. It had contributed substantially to the current health “Seafood markets and the public should be questioning
status of WCPO tropical tuna stocks and fisheries, which were governments about the significant resources deployed to make
the only sustainable global fisheries for tropical tunas,” she such little progress, and by the lack of transparency in how
said in a statement. they arrived at decisions,” said Glen Holmes from the Pew
During the WCPFC deliberations, “PNA Members and Toke- Trusts.
lau shared, with other members of the Pacific Islands Forum The commission did not address calls to increase observer
Fisheries Agency, the need to take a precautionary approach coverage requirements on longline vessels, with 95% of long-
to changes in the significant elements of the Tropical Tuna line fisheries unmonitored.
measure,” she stated. That precautionary approach is be- And WCPFC members did not address a commitment to
ing informed by consideration of future impacts of climate improve fisheries monitoring through proven techniques such
change on Pacific tuna stocks. as electronic monitoring.
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency Director-General Dr Meanwhile, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) said the
Manu Tupou-Roosen said the measure has been in place for WCPFC did not address the fate of 22 tuna fisheries facing
two years, with the understanding “that certain things must suspension of their MSC certification for sustainable fishing.
happen” to ensure the sustainability of the region’s valuable MSC said this was “disappointing.” All 28 MSC certified tuna
resources. fisheries in the WCPO have time-bound conditions of certifica-
She calls the measure a “positive outcome” that is “a great tion that require the adoption of harvest strategies by June
achievement for not just the FFA membership, but for the 2023, MSC said.
commission as a whole.” “The outcome of this week’s WCPFC meeting is disap-
The key tuna stocks in the region, bigeye, yellowfin, alba- pointing for the fisheries, retailers, brands and supply chain
core, and skipjack tuna are all in a healthy state. According companies which have worked so hard to achieve and support
to a 2020 overview and status of stocks report issued recently the high level of sustainability required for MSC certification,”
by the Pacific Community (SPC), the stocks are not overfished. MSC chief executive officer Rupert Howes said.
The report states that the WCPFC tuna catch for 2020 was “The unprecedented support for these fisheries to main-
estimated at 2.743 million tonnes, compared to the record tain their current MSC certifications from supermarkets and
high of 2.987 tonnes in 2019. tuna brands from around the world demonstrates the growing
The report further added purse seine fishery accounted for market demand for, and commitment to continue to source
an estimated 1.881 tonnes. Pole-and-line fishery landed an sustainable seafood despite the economic pressures and im-
estimated 235,000 tons in 2020. pacts of the current pandemic,” he continued.
However while the news on tuna stocks is good, because of
the virtual nature of the meeting, several groups said other editor@islandsbusiness.com
critical issues were not addressed.

38 Islands Business, December 2021