Far reaching measures have been taken by a group of large ocean nations, which is expected to have an important long term impact on the world tuna supply, especially on skipjack. These nations want the WCPFC to follow their example. The PNA countries, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu have decided to close additional high seas areas to all purse seine vessels licensed to fish in their combined EEZs. Almost all registered tuna purse seiners fishing in the Western central Pacific hold licenses with the PNA countries. The ocean surfaces concerned are the additional high seas areas between 10¢ªN and 20¢ªS and 170¢ªE and 150¢ªW, and hold and estimated 10% of the world skipjack tuna stock. Their combined surface is equal to that of the United States, no less than 4.555.000 square kilometers.
This was announced by the PNA Chair Mr. Glen Joseph during the sixth session of the WCPFC Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) which was held in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
The WCPFC Scientific Committee (SC) had advised to the member countries that additional measures are necessary to conserve bigeye tuna. The SC expressed concern at the possible effects of a transfer of purse seine effort from the two closed high seas pockets to other areas of high seas in the east where bigeye tuna generally form a greater proportion of the catch. Analysis by the SC showed that the daily catch rate of bigeye by purse seine vessels in the east, including most of the area proposed for closure is 2 to 5 times higher than in the west. With the closure of the western pockets, some vessels may shift to fishing in the open high seas area in the east. This would increase bigeye mortality and require other measures such as extending the FAD closure or limiting overall purse seine effort to compensate for the additional bigeye mortality. The impact of these measures would generally fall on fishing in PNA EEZs.
Data presented at the TCC meeting by the WCPFC Secretariat showed that several fleets are already exceeding their high seas effort limits, which only serves to compound the problem.
Mr. Joseph explained that on the October 2009 in Bikenibeu Declaration, PNA Fisheries Ministers ¡°noted the serious impact on the bigeye stock from fishing by distant water longliners and purse seiners in the high seas and that the high seas continues to provide a safe haven for IUU fishing.¡± The Ministers agreed that ¡°further work will be taken on closures of additional high seas areas.
In February of this year PNA Leaders agreed to the closure of additional high seas to all purse seine vessels licensed to fish in the EEZs of the PNA. This decision was affirmed by PNA Fisheries Ministers at their meeting in April 2010. It was also agreed that the closure would take effect from 1 January 2011. The closures have been given effect through amendments to the PNA 3rd Implementing Arrangement. No purse seine vessel licensed by any of the PNA will be allowed to fish in this area. It will be a violation of a license issued by any PNA for a vessel to fish in the EEZ for that vessel to fish in those areas.
The PNA countries closing these areas is a large step towards establishing sanctuaries for stocks of tuna and other species affected by fishing. These closures will therefore reinforce the very large efforts being made by the Parties for broader marine biodiversity conservation by their efforts through the Coral Triangle Initiative, the Micronesian Challenge, Kiribati¡¯s Phoenix Islands Protected Area and other national marine protected areas.
According to the PNA chairman ¡°the WCPFC is making progress in controlling high seas fishing, the level of control in the high seas still lags behind the quality of control in EEZs. Tight controls are being applied in EEZs, but vessels continue to fish in the high seas in contravention of effort limits, and fishing states continue to oppose and obstruct control of high seas fishing. Most major fishing state CCM¡¯s (contracting and cooperative member nations) are failing even in their most basic responsibility to provide timely data at the level of detail required for scientific purposes. In addition to the failure to effectively regulate fishing in the high seas, vessels continue to use the high seas as havens from which to operate illegally in the waters of PNA and other Pacific Island countries, further undermining the measures that PNA are taking. Closing the additional high seas areas to purse seiners as a condition of licensing in PNA EEZs will reduce the risk of damage done to the Parties management, conservation and protection efforts by fishing in nearby high seas areas¡±.
The PNA countries have urged the WCPFC that such a measure applied to all fleets operating in the region. The thinking of PNA is that in case some fleets are exempted from the measure, it would not have the desired effect. The WCPFC was asked by the PNA to make their systems compatible to those of the PNA and to apply new conservation and management measures specifically on the closure of additional high seas areas.
As an effect of this measure the PNA countries share of the global skipjack stock will essentially grow. The WCP was in 2009 responsible for close to 60% of the world skipjack catches, by closing these pockets the WCPFC share will significantly decline. At same time it will make the PNA countries an even more important supplier of skipjack to the world market, which a relatively growing share.
