Pacific Fisheries Observers Could Return in 2023
Commercial fishing vessels in the Pacific could see regional fisheries observers returning to their decks as early as January next year.
Prior to the pandemic there were around 800 regional fisheries observers on board vessels in the region.
These independent witnesses spent weeks - sometimes months collecting objective data relating to the volume and type of fish, what methods were used to catch fish, and any observed breaches of fishing rules.
But in April 2020, with borders all over the world closing to slow the spread of Covid-19, a consensus was reached at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission - also known as the Pacific Tuna Commission - to suspend the regional observer program.
There are concerns the three-yearabsence of these observers from commercial fishing vessels has been detrimental to the regulation of the world’s largest tuna fishery. This is because of the crucial role observers play in ensuring conservation rules protecting fish, turtles, birds, and other marine life are adhered to.
The director general of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, Manumatavai Tupou-Roosen, said looking at how to safely redeploy observers from the first of January is one of many fisheries management measures to be discussed at the annual meeting of the Pacific Tuna Commission which gets underway in Vietnam on Sunday. “First physical meeting in three years. And there’s just so much excitement about coming together in person after such a long time,” Dr Tupou-Roosen said.
The Commission is one of five Regional Fisheries Management Organisations that specialise in tuna. “This is the largest tuna fishery in the world, around 30% of global tuna supplies come from our members waters.
“And it’s the healthiest tuna fishery in the world. It’s the only region where all four major tuna stocks are biologically healthy,” Dr Tupou-Roosen said.
“And we’re not saying that to boast, we’re not being complacent, there’s always work to ensure that we continue to sustain these resources, protect these resources so that our people can continue to benefit from them.”