Tuna Commission talks 'phenomenally disappointing'

Transcript

Environmental groups are branding a major meeting on Pacific fisheries last week a failure.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, also known as the Tuna Commission, met in Apia last week to address dwindling tuna stocks but they were unable to agree on conservation measures.

Amanda Nickson of the global environmental group Pew Charitable Trusts told Sally Round the lack of agreement was phenomenally disappointing.

AMANDA NICKSON: This meeting was particularly important because the countries involved in the Commission needed to come to agreement on measures to end overfishing of bigeye tuna and we really needed to see them come to those decisions and take responsibility for those actions and that did not happen. We think it was phenomenally disappointing. Last year the same countries came together and last year they only made the beginning of an agreement that would only last one year and they had a whole year to undertake discussions and bilaterals to ensure that they came to the table this year ready to really put in place appropriate action to ensure an end to overfishing of bigeye and to ensure better regulation of the fishing involved and they did not undertake the appropriate discussions it is clear, in the meantime, and so the entire outcome of the meeting was very very disappointing. The one thing they did was to agree on quota catch for Pacific bluefin which is at just 4% of its unfished levels and it leaves you to wonder how long they're going to wait before they put in place appropriate management action. Are we looking at a situation where they're going to let these other fish stocks get to a severely depleted situation before they take action? Overall it was very disappointing.

SALLY ROUND: There was some action on protection of sharks though.

AN:  There was a measure that was reasonable in terms of the beginning of some protection for sharks that now at least requires some scientific analysis to inform action for fisheries targeting sharks and that's a good first step however there are a range of other species and issues relating to shark conservation that the Commission also needs to take seriously and act on going forward.

SR: Why was the Commission not able to agree? What were the blockages?

AN: I think it's fair to say that most of the countries involved are simply continuing to reinforce their own national position and not act in the spirit of compromise in this Commission. There are upwards of 33 countries involved and in order for fisheries management in the western and central Pacific to be sustainable there has to be an effective process of compromise from all players in line with the science and we did not see that happen.

SR: And what sort of compromises do you think?

AN: I think all of the countries involved are going to need to find a way to accept that everyone is going to have to wear some of the action necessary to reduce catches of bigeye. Bigeye tuna is now considered to be both overfished and subject to overfishing which means that there will need to be action taken to ensure that less of those fish are caught and particularly that less juvenile bigeye is caught as well to ensure that that species can start to rebound.