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Final <strong>Report</strong>
RoO Derogation under the PACP-IEPA
5.7 Impact of RoO Derogation on Tuna Resource Management
5.7.1 Stock sustainability
The current situation with tuna stocks in the WCPO is generally positive and remains essentially
unchanged since the advent of the RoO derogation. Two of the three main stocks harvested (skipjack
and yellowfin), which supply over 95% of raw material for processing, continue within sustainable
limits, now and most likely into the future. This is despite primary management measures failing to
limit effort, associated with the growth of the purse seine fleet during much of the previous decade.
However, most of this growth happened prior to derogation and the total WCPO catch has been
relatively stable since 2007. The third stock, bigeye, was subject to overfishing at the introduction of
derogation. This has not changed, and the stock is not yet demonstrated to be in an overfished state,
despite being very close to that state, due to recent high levels of recruitment. The reduction of
fishing mortality to MSY levels is possible under certain scenarios, albeit probably unlikely, and
longline catch has been substantially reduced. However, overfishing will continue unless purse seine
effort can be reduced in accordance with CMM 2008-01, supported by recent calls to reduce fishing
mortality by 32% from 2006-2009 average levels. It would also assist if VDS purse seine limits are
adequately enforced.
The current measures will be strengthened under an enhanced WCPFC CMM, extended to include
skipjack and revised on the basis of current scientific advice, but this will now not occur until 2012.
An important recent development has been the approval of the MSC PNA skipjack certification in
December 2011. Reference points and harvest controls will be introduced as key management
measures in the near future which further strengthen management in the PNA area and beyond.
Provided compliance with these existing and new management measures is good, and current effort
levels in the fisheries (purse seine and longline) can be reduced, the impact of derogation on stock
sustainability in the future is likely to continue to be minimal. Holding the line on effort controls will
be crucial. With little increase in total catch since 2008, and some indications that effort restrictions
will maintain the two most important stocks at sustainable level, the likelihood of success appears
good. If so, and with raw material supply becoming limiting, attention will turn to the heightened
competition for available fish, leading into discussion of the succeeding areas of potential impact.
5.7.2 IUU fishing
MCS capability at the regional, sub-regional and national levels (in the case of PNG) is well developed
and continues to strengthen. There is little evidence of IUU fishing in the purse seine fishery, with
most issues relating to in-zone infractions. The situation with longline IUU fishing is less clear, but it
is anticipated to occur at a higher, but as yet unquantified, level. The RoO Derogation would be
expected to have little impact on longline IUU fishing, as little or no raw material from this fishery is
processed for EU export.
As tighter MCS controls are introduced and enhanced management measures adopted, pressure to
infringe, particularly with respect to closed areas (high seas closures, which may be extended
beyond the existing HSPs), time period closures and fishing method restrictions (FAD closures, which
may also be lengthened), may increase. This additional pressure on MCS schemes will be
exacerbated by increased pressure on relatively static raw material supplies, as noted in Section
5.7.1. The existing MCS framework might be strengthened by commitment to the FAO PSMA and
other initiatives (e.g. development of an RPOA-IUU), although others believe that measures already
in place ensure similar outcomes.
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