The Global Environment Facility 4 th Biennial International Waters Conference July 31 – August , Cape Town, South Africa Managing and Conserving Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean Focused Learning Discussion: Sustaining Marine Fisheries & Conserving Marine Resources Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries Management Project ( Barbara Hanchard Project Coordinator

Western & Central Pacific Ocean Cook Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Kiribati Marshall Islands Nauru Niue Papua New Guinea Palau Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu

Fisheries Management Issues Fishing capacity increasing steadily since 1970s Early warning signs of pressure on the stock major species (bigeye and yellowfin) The establishment of measures to ensure the sustainability of the Pacific tuna stocks are gaining urgency Essential to have effective management to avoid over-capacity and over-fishing Various layers of fisheries management measures already in place or being developed Challenge to devise practical and politically acceptable fisheries management measures Central issue is interests and aspirations of Pacific island coastal States, most notably - economic importance to the development of Pacific SIDS Pacific SIDS will always take a leading role but face resource challenges to ensure they participate effectively in the developing comprehensive regional management arrangements

International Assistance to Pacific SIDS GEF supported comprehensive analysis of transboundary marine issues in the Pacific 1997 Pacific International Waters Strategic Action Programme (SAP) - Integrated Coastal and Watershed Management - Oceanic Fisheries Management (Phase I) Unsustainable exploitation of living and non-living marine resources Address the weaknesses in governance and understanding of the resources and their dynamics Pacific SIDS participation in the development of new regional fisheries management arrangement Oceanic Fisheries Management Project Phase II late years - US$11 million Assist Pacific SIDS improve their understanding of transboundary oceanic fisheries resources and strengthen their national arrangements for the conservation and management of the Pacific highly migratory fish stocks

The Western & Central Pacific Fishery Commission (WCPFC) WCPF Convention in force June 2004 First meeting Dec 2004 (est. Rules of Procedures & work budget & programme that enabled decisions on conservation and management measures at 2 nd meeting in Dec 2005) Advised by the Scientific Committee (proposed number of Working Groups, including a proposed Ecosystem and By- catch Working Group) and the Technical and Compliance Committee Membership is disparate - world’s most powerful states with large established fleets operating in the region, and some of its smallest, for whom the resources involved represent their major economic development opportunity.

Fisheries Management Developments Conservation and management measures and resolutions adopted since December resolutions and 15 conservation and management measures (regulate matters relating directly to fishing impacts on species, to compliance issues on systems and fishing vessel standards. Concerns for the current stock status of bigeye and yellowfin tunas in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean are such that conservation and management decisions maintain current fishing levels while looking for ways in which to reduce fishing mortality in order to maintain the bigeye and yellowfin stocks at sustainable levels Decisions that support ecosystems approaches to fisheries management in mitigating the impact of fishing on seabirds, precautionary measures for the declining stock abundance of swordfish and striped marlin in the southwest Pacific and the collection of data on sharks. In terms of compliance issues the Parties to the Convention also agreed on the establishment of a Commission vessel monitoring system, a regional observer programme, procedures for boarding and inspection and a list of vessels that have presumed to have carried out IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

Challenges for Pacific SIDS and the PI OFM Project A large number of these measures have been as a result of very proactive intervention by Pacific SIDS collectively. The performance of Pacific SIDS as members of the WCPF Commission is commendable but it remains to be seen if their application and energy is sustainable in the long term. They also are faced with a wide range of responsibilities as a result of WCPF Commission decisions which they must implement by upgrading and realigning their national oceanic fisheries management regimes. Benefits – Conserving and defining rights Challenges: Ambiguities and conflicts over issues Intent of stronger parties to assert control over tuna resources Obligations and implications for national fisheries management

Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries Management Project