The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)

Submitted by katharina on 28 October 2011 - 12:09pm

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention (WCPFC) is an international fisheries agreement that seeks to ensure, through effective management, the long-term conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory fish stocks i.e. tunas, billfish, marlin; in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Conservation and management measures that are developed under the terms of the Convention apply to these stocks throughout their range, or to specific areas within the Convention Area. The WCPFC in particular sets binding rules for the high seas which each country has responsibility to enforce.

The WCPFC High Seas Boarding & Inspection (HSBI) scheme became operational from July 2008 and requires members to notify the Commission of their authorised inspection vessels and inspectors that may board and inspect on the high seas in the Convention Area.

Key Information
28 October 2011
Timeframe: 
Ongoing since 2004
Case Study
Background: 

With 20 million square kilometres of ocean, and a population of just nine million people, some living in the world’s least developed countries, the Pacific Islands has a considerable challenge to control its valuable fishing grounds.

Worth around 3 billion dollars a year, the Pacific Islands tuna is becoming of great interest to the global fishing industry, as other stocks decline, the abundant skipjack and albacore tuna in the Pacific continues to thrive. Pressure from all sides – Asia, Europe and the Americas - to come and fish in Pacific Island waters is increasing.

The WCPFC High Seas Boarding & Inspection Scheme was adopted in December 2006. The Commission is the first and so far, the only tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization to have such procedures in place. The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Members supports the adoption of an effective high seas boarding and inspection scheme as this provides another critical monitoring, control and surveillance tool.

Results Achieved: 

• As a result of the 2009 Operation Kurukuru, Kiribati successfully boarded and prosecuted a bunker vessel and found them fishing illegally later issuing a fine of close to 5 million Australian dollars.
• In 2008, Tonga found a Taiwanese vessel fishing illegally in its waters and threatened the vessel with the WCPFC blacklist which resulted in the vessel paying a fine of 500,000 pa’anga.

Main Activities: 

• At training sessions the fisheries officers are taught subjects including: International law; National laws; Regional and Sub-regional Fisheries Agreements; Fishing Vessel Boarding & Evidence Collections; and Court Procedures. A total of 450 participants from 15 FFA member countries have participated since 2005. Funding for the workshops is provided by FFA and the UN Global Environment Facility (GEF) under the Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries Management.
• Held annually, Operation Kurukuru involves 10 Pacific Island countries plus surveillance assets of Australia, France, US and New Zealand to patrol 10 million square kilometres of sea resulting in a number of boardings, fines and prosecutions.

Future Replicability
Key to Success for Future Replicability: 

The success of the program is largely built on the effort of the people from the police and navy in detecting illegal, unregulated and unreported activities. These cases when appeared in front of the fisheries staff that monitors licences or vessel movements in the sea; a responsive action is taken by forwarding the case to the court. This capacity building in people to ensure safeguarding the tuna’s and other aquatic life can be successfully replicated elsewhere.

Contacts: 

Anouk Ride
Media and Publications
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency