Sustainable tuna fishing in the South Pacific Case Study Click on the following links for further information about this case study: Teacher's Notes Student Activities Fish as a resource The fish stocks of the South Pacific are an extremely important resource for Pacific Island countries. Much of the nutrition, welfare, culture, recreation, government revenue and employment of the Pacific Islands countries is based on their fish stocks, especially tuna. Twenty million square kilometres of the South Pacific is the home to the world's largest tuna fishery, the main species being skipjack, yellowfin, albacore and bigeye. Two thirds of the tuna are taken from national fishery zones or Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), the balance from the High Seas or international waters. The value of the catch has increased remarkably in the last two decades (see Figure 1). Figure 1: Value of the tuna catch 1982-1998 Year Value ($US) 1982 375,000,000 1993 1,200,000,000 1994 1,600,000,000 1998 1,700,000,000 Source: MHLC Session 6 Report, September 1999. Note that the report does not specify whether these dollar values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation) or real (adjusted for inflation). Hence any comparisons made between years should be made with this in mind. The importance of tuna as an economic resource for Pacific Island countries Migratory tuna species are the most important fish resource in the region. The tuna fisheries produce over nine times the amount of fish of all other fisheries in the region combined. The tuna harvest is worth some US$3 billion annually and is a major source of employment for Pacific Island nationals. 10,000 Pacific Islanders are employed on tuna vessels and in tuna processing plants. The total direct and indirect tuna related employment is estimated to be between 21,000 and 31,000 people. This represents between 6-8% of all wage employment in the region. The current value of tuna caught annually represents around 10% of the combined GDP of all the nations of the region, and a third of all exports from the region. For several smaller countries, the tuna industry provides the most important contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Economic benefits from tuna and other fisheries also accrue through: access fees for licensed fishing fleets of distant water fishing countries. There are over a thousand fishing vessels with less than ten percent of them owned by Pacific Island countries. The majority of tuna vessels come from Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the United States. It is estimated that the region received US$65 million in 1997. This represents a 430% increase over that received in 1982. provision of services for fishing fleets. Samoan fishers Robert Fane and George Tanoa unload a tuna catch from a long-line fishing boat. Sustainable management of tuna stocks The sustainable conservation and management of tuna stocks is fundamental to both the long-term economic development of and improvement in living conditions in the region. Important short-term benefits include food, employment and income generation activities. Tuna fisheries of the region are at a watershed. Whilst they offer substantial long-term economic opportunities, benefits can only be maximized if the resource is effectively managed to avoid the over-fishing and stock collapses that have been associated with many fisheries worldwide. Management of tuna and other commercial fish species The management of tuna and other commercial fish species within the South Pacific region is the responsibility of two organizations. These are the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) - specifically the Oceanic Fisheries Program and the Coastal Fisheries Program within the SPC. The South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) The FFA was established in 1979 by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to help manage marine resources, in particular the highly migratory tuna species. Today there are sixteen member countries (see Figure 2). Figure 2: FFA Pacific Island Countries - Principal Physical and Economic Features Country   2000 population estimates Gross domestic product Land area (km²) Sea area (EEZ) in 1000s km² Total Density (per- sons/ km²) Annual growth rate (%) Total (1000s AUD) Per capita (AUD) Year Cook Islands 237 1830 18700 79 -0.5 128785 6778 1997 Fede- rated States of Micro- nesia 701 2780 118100 168 1.9 268987* 2463* 1996* Fiji Islands 18333 1290 824700 45 1.6 2429533* 3118* 1997* Kiribati 811 3550 90700 112 2.5 59236 756 1996 Marshall Islands 181 2131 51700 286 2 121295 2022 1997 Nauru 21 320 11500 548 1.8 206250 34144 1989 Niue 259 390 1900 7 -3.1 8835 4229 1991 Palau 488 629 19100 39 2.2 183671 10377 1996 Papua New Guinea 462243 3120 4790800 10 2.3 6371028* 1478 1997* Samoa 2935 120 169200 58 0.6 224740 1361 1996 Solomon Islands 28370 1340 447900 16 3.4 421106 1139 1993 Tonga 649 700 100200 154 0.6 233196 2384 1997 Tuvalu 26 900 9900 381 0.9 15966 1698 1995 Vanuatu 12190 680 199800 16 3 346584 1956 1997 * Provisional figures The establishment of the FFA was in response to developments in the 1970s in relation to the United Nations 'Law of the Sea' Convention. This recognized the sovereignty of coastal states over economic resources out to 320 kilometres offshore, a location known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The area beyond the EEZs is known as the High Seas. Amid mounting pressure on global fish stocks and clear evidence of overfishing in many fisheries, the FFA was created in order to: (i) ensure the sustainability of the South Pacific region's fisheries; and (ii) allow Pacific Island countries to capture a larger share of the fisheries' economic benefits. Achievements of the FFA include: fostering fisheries expertise among its members assisting with the negotiation of multilateral treaties between member countries and distant water fishing countries setting up and operating a regional register of fishing vessels establishing a vessel monitoring system (VMS) based on satellite technology Adding value to the local tuna catch by grading, loining and filleting the fish. An important part of the work of the SPC's Coastal Fisheries Programme is assisting Pacific Island countries to develop their local tuna processing industries. Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Pacific The biggest achievement in recent years in the South Pacific fishery, the Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Pacific was signed on 4 September 2000. A world first for the management and conservation of the valuable South Pacific tuna fishery, the Convention is an agreement between FFA members and distant water Fishing Countries about tuna fishing on the High Seas and in EEZs. The aim is to achieve a long-term sustainable harvest of tuna. The Convention is the culmination of five years of long and difficult negotiations (seven sessions of the Multilateral High Level Conference (MHLC)). It is a compromise between the complex and competing interests of the Pacific Island countries in whose national waters large stocks of tuna fish move, and the interests of distant water fishing countries who wish to fish in both the High Seas and the EEZs. Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) The SPC is a regional organization made up of 22 South Pacific island countries, namely American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, North Mariana Islands, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Fortuna as well as the governments of Australia, New Zealand, France, United Kingdom and the USA. It supports two fisheries management programs - the Oceanic Fisheries Programme and the Fisheries Development Section within the Coastal Fisheries Programme. The Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP) was established in 1980 as a scientific support and advisory service covering highly migratory fish species including tuna. Its scientific data provides information that can help the Pacific Island nations manage the fish stocks in their own waters and to cooperate with distant water fishing fleets in managing tuna fishing that takes place in the international waters. The three areas of research are: (i) monitoring of fish stock; (ii) investigation of tuna ecology and biology; and (iii) the assessment/modelling of present and future tuna stock. The Fisheries Development Section of the Coastal Fisheries Programme aims to help island countries improve the sustainability of fishing within the small scale local fisheries sector, including the development of local tuna processing opportunities. At present only one fifth of the tuna catch is processed within the South Pacific Island countries. Fishing is an integral part of the lifestyle and culture of South Pacific Islanders. Australian involvement The Australian Government through its overseas aid program (managed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)) is a major contributor to the work of the FFA and the SPC in managing fish resources of the South Pacific. Projects supported by Australia include: Forum Fisheries Agency: Australia provides funding of A$1.6 million annually in support of salaries and other running costs, as well as support for specific activities. These include improving systems for ensuring that fishing vessels comply with the requirements of member countries for sustainable catches. This is done through the use of the FFA VMS (see Student Activity 8). Regional Pacific Fisheries Management: Australia is contributing A$1.1 million towards the funding of a Fisheries Management Advisor to assist member countries develop plans for offshore tuna fisheries. This includes assessing the biological, economic and social implications of alternative tuna fishing management strategies, as well as identifying and prioritising tuna fisheries management issues. Oceanic Fisheries Programme: Australia is contributing A$2.3 million to this programme, the purpose of which is to provide scientific support for the management of tuna and billfish. The programme undertakes a range of scientific research and advisory services to assist in improving regional and national capacities to sustainably manage and monitor fish stocks. Coastal Fisheries Programme: Australia is contributing A$2.3 million to this programme. The focus is on inshore marine resources, particularly the provision of technical advice in relation to lagoon and reef stock. It is designed to assist in the development of local marine resource based enterprises.   Top © Commonwealth of Australia