Every year at this time of the year (pre WCPFC meeting) one of the key publications for the region is published: SPC’s The western and central Pacific tuna fishery: 2020 overview and status of stocks. And this is the de facto publication when it comes to the sustainability of fisheries in the region (and I’m proud of having being involved in the cover picture)
The tuna fisheries assessment report (the "TFAR") provides current information on the tuna fisheries of the WCPO and the fish stocks (mainly tuna) that are impacted by them. The information provided in this report is summary in nature, but a list of references (mostly accessible via the internet) is included for those seeking further details.
This report focuses on the primary tuna stocks targeted by the main WCPO industrial fisheries - skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (T. obesus) and South Pacific albacore tuna (T. alalunga).
The report is divided into three parts: the first section provides an overview of the fishery, with emphasis on developments over the past few years; the second summarises the most recent information on the status of the stocks; and the third summarises information concerning the interaction between the tuna fisheries, other associated and dependent species and their environment.
The data used in compiling the report are those which were available to the Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP) at the time of publication, and are subject to change as improvements continue to be made to recent and historical catch statistics from the region.
I like to get the 1st read of the graphs… stocks are sustainable in the WCPO, but most interesting for me is some of the things I read in between the lines
I just bring up is 2 things today: the MSC pressure on getting the tropical tuna measure (TTM) and the Harvest strategy (HaSt) agreement in place at the WCPFC meeting and working conditions on longline crew.
The tropical tuna measure (TTM) and the Harvest strategy (HaSt) agreement is perhaps the most complex issue faced at the WCPFC... is highly technical wilt a lot of moving parts of which harvest strategies are one... I just want to give a word of caution if you decide to tackle it, as is very easy to fall into holes and potentially antagonise parties. Is important to keep in mind that the WCPFC Harvest Strategy Workplan is delayed not because of a lack of dialogue and understanding of its importance of it, but mostly because the debate on harvest strategy elements has become a geopolitical tool used by some DWFN to influence future allocations and (of course!) entrench privilege.
As per the MSC angle, they have been publicising a lot… well... if there is no HaSt agreement, MSC will no doubt be the most affected in all of this... the reality is that they have more at stake and to lose than SIDS... if they were to suspend the certification of the key fishery that brings most of the volume under their logo they will lose a LOT of money...
Would they shoot their own foot based on a process that is delayed due to politics? Doubt it! they need the fishery, more than the fishery needs them. A few years ago they were in a similar spot in terms of compartmentalisation around FADs... so they gage themselves time (3 years to suspend it) instead of suspending the fisheries because they are not sustainable!... and now looks like there is no need to suspend it because it looks like tuna fishing with FADs can be MSC certified.
The Tuna market depends on the WCPO catches... you think that if the tuna fisheries of the region were to lose MSC certification all the canneries would go: Ahhh no... we not gonna can tuna anymore because is not MSC certified? of course not! they will keep going, because people will keep eating tuna.
The stocks are healthy (as you can see above)... because FFA/PNA continues to manage and sustain their fishery, against the raft of obligations they have signed onto at the pace that ensures their capacity is catered for and fits their purpose in the short to medium term with the long term outlook for a regionally sustained fishery. A lot is at stake, the HaSt work will be good for MSC, but that's not the primary purpose... the reason why MSC can certify the tuna fishery is that it is managed sustainably by the SIDS and not the opposite
Crew condition in the Longline fishery… in page 37: you see this graphh… fishing effort, in fleet sizes and number of hooks fished (bottom), for the longline fishery in the WCPFC
in the 90s when i was fishing these waters, were the heyday of LL in the WCPO. Today as you can see there is only 1/3 of that fleet left, and is soaking over twice the number of hooks.
Deck and gear setting technology is still the same. So the only way to duplicate the number of hooks soaking is by more than duplicating the crew's workload.
This is pure exploitation, on top of that, they are recruiting crew from by based on exploitation because the worsening economic condition and high population density of many SE Asian countries and so pay them every time shittier wages as to keep your numbers above the breaking line...
as the report that WWF presented recently for the WCPFC says in the conclusion... "Only in Superman’s Bizarro World can the WCPFC establish binding labour standards for observers, ensure the safety of whale sharks and cetaceans, but not establish labour standards for the wellbeing of crew"
If i only needed one proof to support the importance of the lead that FFA and Indonesia is taking on the crew welfare CMM it would be on this graph.