Greenpeace says a crucial meeting on the rules for fishing tuna in Pacific waters needs to get tougher with distant water nations.
The Tuna Commission meeting is being held in Cairns next week.
The Greenpeace Pacific Oceans Campaigner, Duncan Williams, says a recent report revealed growing numbers of unaccountable boats on the high seas taking huge amounts of tuna.
He says the adult population of bigeye tuna is at record-low numbers.
Duncan Williams says Greenpeace is pushing for a cap or a freeze on new boats in the Pacific.
He says there are 45 new boats being made in Asian shipyards and the Tuna Commission must get tough with its member countries.
"There are just too many fishing vessels chasing too few fish. We believe that the tuna fishery cannot sustain any longer this immense amount of pressure being placed on the Pacific tuna fishery by distant water nations from across Asia."
Duncan Williams.
