Deadlocked talks and a deferral of key conservation and management measures for high value tuna stocks mark a disappointing outcome for the annual meeting of The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
This was the view of WFF as the meeting closed in Tumon, Guam.
The organisation says that particularly disappointing was the failure to find solutions to resolve the downward spiral of already overfished bigeye tuna, despite scientists asking for the fishing to be cut substantially. Precautionary conservation measures to protect yellowfin stocks, facing increasing fishing, were also put off.
WWF says that the positive actions taken by the WCPFC to protect oceanic whitetip shark and cetaceans were overshadowed by inaction on whale sharks entangled by purse seine nets.
WWF expressed dismay at the rapid growth in longline fleets in the Western and Central Pacific that target southern albacore tuna. Catches of albacore have risen from 53000mt to 71000mt over the last 10 years, placing at risk other vulnerable marine species such as seabirds.
WWF was heartened that a joint WWF, Greenpeace and Pew submission in the closing minutes of the meeting that the commission take urgent action on the conservation of albacore had drawn the support of Japan and Pacific island countries and territories.
WWF strongly urges WCPFC Member States to take action to support the implementation of the precautionary approach to fisheries management, more in particular to:
- Adopt harvest control rules and reference points in line with international best practice for tuna stocks
- Strengthen regulations on bycatch species impacted by tuna fishing
- Reduce fishing capacity in line with long term sustainable yields
