Honolulu - Tons of plastic waste smashing into reefs, entanglement of vulnerable wildlife and long journeys across the Pacific are only part of the life of the tens of thousands of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) placed in the ocean every year by the tuna industry. Now the mysteries of FADs are starting to reveal themselves to a FAD tracking project being conducted by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA). Photo by Pew Charitable Trust The PNA are eight Pacific Island cou

Honolulu-Another push is being made at Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) this year for an agreement on a comprehensive shark management measure. The incidental catch of sharks while targeting other fish such as tuna has become a serious threat to the species. A 2013 study by Social Development Direct, a UK based research group estimated that around 100 million sharks died in 2000 as a result of fishing, and 97 million in 2010. Outgoing commission chairp

Manila, Philippines- The Forum Fisheries Agency is delighted that the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has adopted its proposal for a new Port State Measure to combat illegal fishing by boosting Pacific Island capacity to conduct port inspections. Fisheries Forum Agency (FFA) James Movick said the adoption of the port state measure is a victory against illegal fishing. Tuna are offloaded from a fishing vessel spotted by the Palau Marine law enforcers t

Manila, Philippines- Vietnam is again under pressure to explain what measures it will put in place to stop the small blue boats poaching the reef resources of the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and New Caledonia representatives at the 14th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) here reiterated that the Vietnamese blue boats are unwelcome in the region. Photo by Richard W. Brooks “We have a sayin

Manila, Philippines- A newer method of assessing bigeye tuna stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean has resulted into a more positive appraisal of the population. Photo by Lisa Williams In 2014 the key scientists responsible for assessing the stock published new studies suggesting bigeye tuna stocks were down to 16 percent of the original population – a critical level. Now the same scientists have completed much more detailed studies which suggest bigeye tuna are at

Manila, Philippines- Illegal fishing by boats from Vietnam continues to be a problem in the Pacific, with New Caledonia and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) raising the issue anew at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Vietnamese Blue Boats were also spotted in Palau waters in the past years. Photo by Richard W. Brooks New Caledonia’s representative Manuel Ducrocq warned the WCPFC that the blue boats are back in the region. “Despite the statemen