HONIARA, 31 October 2026 – The 17 Members of the
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) will push for a
landmark management procedure for bigeye tuna at the
upcoming 23rd Regular Session of the Western and Central
Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC23) in Port Vila,
Vanuatu.
The proposal is among several fisheries
management priorities formally submitted to the Commission
following the 22nd Management Options Consultation (MOC22),
a weeklong series of meetings involving FFA Members,
partners and stakeholders on key regional fisheries
management issues.
The outcomes of MOC22 were endorsed
yesterday at a Special Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC)
Officials Meeting in Honiara, before being submitted to the
Commission.
If adopted, the proposed bigeye tuna
measure would be the Commission’s first management procedure
covering both purse seine and longline fisheries, two major
fishing methods used to catch tuna.
It would be an
important step towards strengthening the management of the
world’s largest bigeye tuna stock, which accounts for
approximately 40 percent of global bigeye tuna catches and,
according to the latest stock assessment, has never been
overfished.
Managing bigeye tuna remains a challenge
because both purse seine and longline fisheries catch the
same stock. Existing restrictions on purse seine fishing
help protect bigeye tuna but also reduce fishing
opportunities and potential revenue for Pacific Island
countries, while benefiting longline fisheries.
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FFA
Members are seeking a more balanced approach that protects
bigeye tuna while recognising the economic interests of
Pacific Island countries and ensuring that conservation
responsibilities are shared more fairly between the two
fishing methods.
Other proposals submitted by FFA
Members include new arrangements for managing South Pacific
Albacore, stronger fisheries reporting and monitoring and
stronger management of transhipment activities.
For
South Pacific Albacore, FFA Members are seeking agreement on
how fishing opportunities should be allocated between
coastal States and high seas fisheries and established
rights on the high sea; supported by robust monitoring and
reporting; for the implementation of the Management
Procedure adopted by the Commission in December 2025. The
proposal is grounded on the recognition of rights and
special requirements of Pacific Small Island Developing
States and Territories (SIDS) and of the Commission’s
agreed allocation criteria.
FFA Members are also
calling for stronger fisheries monitoring and compliance,
including a prohibition on transferring fish between vessels
on the high seas until the Commission adopts clear
guidelines. Other priorities include improving fisheries
data reporting and protecting Pacific Island countries’
fishing rights and economic interests as climate change
affects tuna distribution.
FFA Director-General Noan
David Pakop acknowledged the commitment demonstrated by
Members throughout the consultations.
“Members, the
22nd Management Options Consultation demands flexibility,
compromise and commitment to our collective interests and I
recognise that this is not always a straightforward process.
However, over the past few days, your engagement has once
again demonstrated the strength of our membership: your
ability to come together, reconcile differing views and work
towards consensus,” Mr Pakop said at the FFC Officials
Meeting.
With their common positions now endorsed and
formally submitted, FFA Members will focus on building
support for their proposals ahead of WCPFC23, scheduled for
30 November – 5 December 2026 in Port Vila,
Vanuatu.
The 17 FFA Members include Australia, Cook
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati,
Marshall Islands, Naoero, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu,
and
Vanuatu.
