Fisheries in the Pacific

Overview of tuna fisheries, stock status and management framework…
noted that levels of fishing mortality differed between regions, and that fishery
impact was highest in the tropical region (Harley et al. 2015).
South Pacific albacore tuna 27
The 2012 stock assessment found that the South Pacific albacore tuna stock is not
experiencing overfishing and is not in an overfished state. 28 Nevertheless, it is estimated
that the current level of longline catch is having a considerably higher impact
than in previous years on this stock, which is vulnerable to longline fishery. Despite
the apparent biological health of the stock, it is estimated that fisheries in many
PICTs could see declines in individual vessel’s daily catches and fishery profitability
(Harley et al. 2015).
Management framework
As tuna are considered highly migratory, management interventions are more effective
at the regional scale. Yet management interventions are discussed and implemented
at three different levels within the WCPO.
At the regional level, the annual Commission meeting of the WCPFC develops
‘Conservation and Management Measures’ (CMMs) for fisheries and stocks on the
basis of advice from its Committees, 29 including the Scientific Committee advice
on stock status (see section “Status of stocks”). These CMMs are often specific to
fishing gear types, primarily because, as noted earlier, different gear types target
different species. For example, recent CMMs aiming to limit fishing impacts on
tropical tuna, in particular bigeye, focus on reducing longline catches and limiting
fishing effort by purse seiners on FADs, because these fishing approaches have a
strong negative impact on that stock. CMMs have also been developed for nontarget
species, such as mitigation methods 30 to reduce shark and bird bycatch.
27. The North Pacific albacore tuna stock is not exploited by PICTs and is not considered in the present
document.
28. The last assessment at the time of writing (May 2015)(performed in 2012 by SPC) indicated that
fishing mortality on adult fish had increased considerably over the past decade, but that overall estimates
of 2011 fishing mortality were well below F MSY . Spawning biomass levels remained well above SB MSY .
29. Four subsidiary bodies support the work of the WCPFC. The Scientific Committee (SC) provides the
best available scientific advice. The Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) is in charge of evaluating
the enforcement of WCPFC decisions. The Northern Committee (NC) makes recommendations on
species mostly found north of 20°N. The Finance and Administration Committee (FAC) deliberates on
the WCPFC’s budget. All WCPFC members are part of the SC, the TCC and the FAC. Participation in the
NC is limited to those members located north of 20°N or fishing for “northern stocks” (stocks which
occur mainly north of 20°N).
30. Mitigation methods are fishing techniques or practices implemented to avoid the capture, minimise
the mortality, and reduce the catch of unwanted species.
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