South Pacific longline fisheries declining due to economics
Data gathered by the FFA shows that economic conditions in the South Pacific long-line fishery is on a downward trend, with no signs it is likely to r...
Pacific tuna fisheries sustainable but need to consider threats, especially from climate change
The foresight of Pacific country leaders in the late ‘90s means that the tuna fisheries in the Western Central Pacific today are still sustainable, ...
Pacific fisheries surveillance ramps up – nowhere to hide in this regional fishery
RFSC, FFA HQ, Honiara SOLOMON ISLANDS-- Regional fishing fleets have ‘eyes in the sky’ watching their every move. For the past three weeks Operati...
SustainPacFish – New web portal links to information on sustaining and conserving Pacific oceanic fisheries
SustainPacFish is a new web portal designed to provide Pacific fisheries managers and industry with links to the latest information about measures to ...
UNPLUGGED: Impacts of 2018 Tuna Commission measures on Pacific island fisheries
“When you look at the measure [Tropical Tuna Bridging Measure], there’s a series of very strong concessions that FFA members as a group gave to ac...
Thriller in Manila: Popping the Pacific’s US$22 billion ‘tuna bubble’
The two principal priorities for Pacific small island states are climate change and fisheries. One seeks finance and redress from rich developed count...
Pew: Mexico, Japan breach bluefin fishing limit again
Republished from Undercurrent News, 9 May 2018
Mexico and Japan have already breached their bluefin fishing limit for the second year in a row, despite strict quotas, said Pew Charitable Trusts.
Pacific bluefin is worth nearly $1 billion at the final point of sale, but it has been severely depleted over the years, and now just sits at 2.6% of...
Pacific interest grows in online fishing tool
Republished from Radio New Zealand, 8 May 2018
An online reporting tool for fisheries management is gaining popularity in the Pacific, the Pacifi...
Western, Central Pacific tuna fishery in line for MSC
Republished from Undercurrent News, 4 May 2018
The Western Pacific Sustainable Tuna Alliance, Western and Central Pacific skipjack and yellowfin free school purse seine fishery has been ruled to have met the standards for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
Following a 30-day comment period on the public comment draft report, SCS...
Vanuatu fisheries minister asks tuna harvesters to use restored local plant
Republished from Undercurrent News, 3 May 2018
The Sino-Van Fish Processing Plant, in Vanuatu's capital city of Port Vila, has been shut down for 14 years because of a prior lack of facilities to accommodate fishing boats. But when it reopens later this year, Matai Seramiah, the country's fisheries minister, hopes local fishermen will return an...
Digitising data a challenge for Pacific fishing industry
Republished from Radio New Zealand, 30 April 2018
The Forum Fisheries Agency says the Pacific is facing big challenges as it embraces digital technology.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Tuna on the deck of a Pacific fishing vessel. Photo: RNZI/Giff Johnson[/caption]
A systems analyst for the agency said that in the fisherie...
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank eyes opportunities to help Pacific Islands crack down on illegal fishing; Outreach met with scepticism by veteran Pacific watcher
Republished from interest.co.nz, 14 March 2018
The Chinese-founded Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) wants to help Pacific Island nations manage their fisheries.
The multilateral development bank’s president, Jin Liqun, believes the Islands have “limited capacity” to do so on their own, so need the international community’s...
PNA re-certified as sustainable
Republished from Radio New Zealand, 9 March 2018
An independent adjudicator in New York has dismissed an objection to the re-certification of sustainable tuna fisheries controlled by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, or PNA.
Its eight member nations control about half the global supply of skipjack tuna, the most commonly canned variety.
...
Conserving the Pacific’s fish stocks
Republished from The Interpreter, 8 December 2017
The western and central Pacific Ocean is home to the world’s most productive tuna fisheries, supplying global markets with canned tuna, sashimi and other tuna products. Industrial catches of skipjack, yellowfin, bigeye, and albacore are collectively worth approximately US$5.7 billion per year a...
Closing the fisheries loopholes
Authorities battle with e-monitoring
By NETANI RIKA, Pasay City, the Philippines
WHEN the Pacific met its international partners at the 12th Weste...
FFA Pacific nations at forefront of fisheries management: maximize returns and food security
Managing the Pacific’s tuna stock is important in terms of the global marine ecosystem and for Pacific people and their economies. It points to Paci...
Vietnamese reef robbers- rocking the Pacific boat
Koror, Palau — 'Blue Boats' a phantom fleet of marginally registered fishing vessels, set sail from small villages in Vietnam to venture out and s...
Profiles from the Oceanic Fishery: Rhea Moss-Christian
A real life David and Goliath struggle has unraveled in the Pacific as a young woman from a small island nation takes on the cause of protecting the w...
Reef Robbers: Who’s paying? New pressures for Pacific surveillance from Vietnam’s Blue Boats
Does the Pacific have a system capable of mounting effective surveillance, capture and arrest illegal vessels and operators in its 20million-plus squa...
The types of states in a catch documentation scheme
Republished from Francisco Blaha's blog, 14 March 2018
by Francisco Blaha
I promised that I would slowly digest and post parts of...
Solomons makes $399M from tuna alone, in 2017
THE Solomon Islands government has earned a record $399 million Solomon Island Dollar (SBD) from its tuna resources in 2017, the Ministry of Fisheries...
Pacific air patrols will do more than combat illegal fishing
By Scott Brady
Protecting fish stocks from illegal fishing is of critical importance to the economy, food security and stability of Pacific Island ...
The economic value of tuna catches in the Western Pacific
Republished from Franciso Blaha's blog, 4 October 2017
by Francisco Blaha
As said many times before, I'm not only blown away by th...
Notes from the 6th Pacific Tuna Forum
Republished from Franciso Blaha's blog, 18 September 2017
by Francisco Blaha
Just back 6th Pacific Tuna Forum in Port Moresby in P...
The insides of the FAO Port State Measures Agreements implementation
Republished from Franciso Blaha's blog, 5 September 2017
by Francisco Blaha
The last 2 weeks I have been working for FAO as a resour...
Securing a sustainable future in the Pacific – a TED talk
Republished from Franciso Blaha's blog, 29 July 2017
by Francisco Blaha
My colleague and friend David Power, a management advisor...
Tuna stock assessment training workshops in Noumea
The participants at this week's tuna stock assessment workshops held at the Pacific Community (SPC) offices in Noumea, New Caledonia.
The Ocean...
Tuna: talk of the town in Manila this week
Tuna is the talk of the town in Manila this week at WCPFC14. But what is the WCPFC?
Published 5 Dec 2017...
Fisheries leader takes global fishing powers to task
Opening remarks at the 14th Regular Session of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission from Rhea Moss-Christian (WCPFC).
Publis...
FFA lauds improved process of high seas fishing policymaking at WCPFC14
Wez Norris (FFA) talks about, for the first time, looking at opportunities and rights on the high seas for fishery fleets, at the 14th Regular Sessio...
Cooperation and positive outcomes from WCPFC14 work
Rhea Moss-Christian (WCPFC) talks about the positive outcomes and cooperation from the 14th Regular Session of the Western & Central Pacific Fishe...
WWF shares an environmental perspective about WCPFC14
Bubba Cook (WWF) talks about an environment NGO perspective from the 14th Regular Session of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
...