WCPFC: Revised tuna measures on the way

There will be an agreement on the revised Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Tropical Tuna Measure when the Commission meets in Rarotonga, Cook Islands in December.

WCPFC executive director Rhea Moss-Christian revealed this to RNZ Pacific in an interview on Tuesday. Speaking from Ponphei in the Marshall Islands, Moss-Christian said this was something members have been discussing in the past months, following the initial decision taken in Vietnam.

"With respect to the tuna measure, I would say that across the membership, the general view is that there will be agreement on a revised measure," she said. "It will change and everybody is looking at those fishing opportunities. For purse seine fisheries, the number of days that are available to fish on the high seas." And then in the longline fishery, the number of the amount of catch, the catch quarters for flag states. So those are the two main pieces of this measure. "And my sense is that the Commission members fully expect to be able to make changes and agree to those changes in December. "Pacific countries that are members of the WCPFC include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The participating territories include American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna.

Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/501523/revised-tuna-measure-on-the-way-tuna-commission