Feleti P Teo WCPFC Executive Director

Feleti P Teo WCPFC Executive Director

Outline of Presentation Overview of the WCPFC Status of Key WCPO Tuna Stocks Management Regime Management Challenges Key Messages

WCPFC Convention Area WCPFC Convention Area

Five Tuna RFMOs

40 Countries/Territories Involved (as of 2017) 26 Members (FFA) Australia, Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Kiribati, RMI, Nauru, NZ, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu (Non-FFA) Canada, China, EU, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, USA 7 Territories A. Samoa, CNMI, F. Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna 7 Cooperating Non-Members Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Liberia, Panama, Thailand and Vietnam.

WCPFC Institutional Arrangements Secretariat Commission Scientific Committee Technical and Compliance Committee Northern Committee Finance and Administration Committee FFA VMS Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) International Scientific Committee (ISC)

1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Catch (mt) 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 Catch (mt) WCPO Tuna Catch 3,200,000 2,800,000 2,400,000 2,000,000 1,600,000 PURSE SEINE OTHER POLE-AND-LINE LONGLINE Record of tuna catches in 2016 (Provisional estimates) 1,200,000 800,000 400,000 0 Total: 2,717,580 mt PS: 1,858,198 mt LL: 231,860 mt 3,200,000 2,800,000 2,400,000 2,000,000 SKIPJACK YELLOWFIN BIGEYE ALBACORE SKJ: 1,816,650 mt YFT: 650,491 mt BET: 152,806 mt 1,600,000 1,200,000 800,000 400,000 0 Economic value in 2016: USD 5.28 billion PS: $2.84 billion LL: $1.48 billion

Skipjack Tuna Fishery Catch Trends Majuro Plot Spawning potential depletion Status: No overfishing, Not overfished Scientific Advice: Maintain spawning biomass depletion near TRP

Yellowfin Tuna Fishery Catch Trends Majuro Plot Spawning potential depletion Status: No overfishing, Not overfished Scientific Advice: Maintain current level of spawning biomass

Bigeye Tuna Fishery Catch Trends Majuro Plot Spawning potential depletion Status: No overfishing, Not overfished Scientific Advice: Do not increase fishing mortality Maintain current level of spawning biomass Conduct additional research to expand growth data set and evaluate alternative regional structures

South Pacific Albacore Fishery Catch Trends Majuro Plot Spawning potential depletion Status: No overfishing, Not overfished Scientific Advice: Reduce longline catch to increase economic viability

Status of Key Tuna Stocks

Fishing Capacity Number of Active Vessels in the WCPO

Fishing Capacity Number of vessels by year built in the WCPFC RFV http://www.wcpfc.int/vessels/charts/year_built

CMM 2017-01 FOR BET, SKJ AND YF TUNA New CMM on Tropical Tuna (CMM 2017-01) Three years from 2018 to 2020 Broad features of CMM 2017-01 Bridge to adoption of harvest strategies Mix of limits on efforts and catch levels New requirement and exemptions, specific to certain CCMs Annual provisions to be reviewed at end of 2018 Provisions requiring notifications to be provided by CCMs

EEZ limits (PNA VDS + others) High Seas (interim flag limits) Purse seine Measures CMM 2016-01 / CMM 2009-02 FAD closure (3 months and additional 2 sequential months for high seas) PNA CCMs to notify if PNA 3IA apply to fleet Purse Seine catch retention 100% observer coverage Limit on LSPSVs (SIDS and Indonesia exemption)

Longline Measures Flag-based with SIDS Exemption Flag-based bigeye catch limits and monthly reporting (SIDS exemption) Limits on longline vessel numbers targeting bigeye (SIDS and Indonesia exemption)

Other Commercial Fisheries CMM 2016-01 More than 2000 mt (bigeye, yellowfin or skipjack) Limit to 2001 2004 level of effort or total capacity

Harvest Strategy Framework CMM 2014-06: CMM on establishing a harvest strategy for key fisheries and stocks in the WCPO 2015 Adopted Agreed work plan for the adoption of harvest strategies under CMM 2014-06 Elements of Harvest Strategy Management objectives, Reference points, Levels of risks, Monitoring strategy, harvest control rules, and management strategy evaluation. Progress to-date Management objectives for skipjack purse seine fishery, limit reference points, interim TRP for skipjack, interim levels of risks for breaching LRP, identifying performance measures for tropical purse seine, and commitment to adopt a TRP for SP Albacore in 2018.

WCPFC Compliance / MCS Vessel Monitoring System ROP HSBI CMS

Key Management Challenges Consensus-based decision making Multi-faceted character of the WCPO tuna fisheries Slow progress in the development of harvest strategies Gap in Data and Data Quality

Key Messages No complacency despite the positive bigeye stock assessment for WCPO. Biological sustainability of tuna stock must be paramount consideration. Collective efforts equal collective gain. Enhanced data coverage and quality fundamental. An efficient and effective CMS is essential Harvest Strategy is the Way of the Future