Australia working to secure future of world’s last great tuna fishery

Attending the annual Forum Fisheries Committee meeting, Minister for Fisheries and Conservation, Senator Eric Abetz, said "the Western and Central Pacific Fishery is worth over $2b. annually and supplies over half of the world’s tuna."

"Not only is it vitally important for the future supply of the world’s seafood, but it’s a fundamental cornerstone of Pacific island economies.

"In that context it’s critical for the future of the region that we get the management right"

The Minister said the scientific evidence suggests that while some stocks are travelling well, there are some very worrying signs for yellowfin and bigeye tuna stocks.

"One of the key outcomes of the meeting was a resolution by Ministers to support the development of a regional fisheries management strategy, including measures to eliminate overfishing of bigeye and yellowfin tuna

"The strategy will also look at ways to address the threat to healthy tuna stocks in the western and central Pacific posed by distant water fishing fleets displaced by the overfishing of tuna stocks elsewhere.

The Minister said the strategy will be put to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting in December this year.

Other key outcomes of the meeting included:

* Support for interim measures to conserve high seas biodiversity

* A call for the orderly restructuring and reduction of distant water fishing fleets in the area

* Support for the development of a comprehensive monitoring, control and surveillance plan to ensure compliance by all fishing nations with conservation measures

Members of the Forum Fisheries Committee include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau (Territory of NZ), Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.