The Global Tuna Alliance (GTA) has called on the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to adopt a management procedure for South Pacific albacore at its annual meeting in December, warning that further delay could put both livelihoods and market trust at risk.
With Pacific Island nations now bringing forward a joint science-based proposal, the GTA – backed by major global retailers and suppliers – said that the WCPFC, "has a clear opportunity to demonstrate leadership and deliver the stability this fishery has long needed."
Recent experience has shown how quickly markets respond when management lags behind the science. In the Indian Ocean, past overfishing of yellowfin tuna has led retailers including Tesco, Co-op, Carrefour and Princes to halt or drastically reduce sourcing.
In the North Atlantic, mackerel lost its MSC certification years ago, and the continued lack of effective management has prompted several major retailers to recently suspend sales.
“Those examples show how quickly buyer trust unravels when science isn’t followed,” said Daniel Suddaby, Executive Director of the GTA. “Retailers and brands require assurance that the fisheries they buy from are stable, well-managed and future-proof. A management procedure for albacore could deliver exactly that.”
The GTA said progress among members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), who have jointly submitted a proposal to the WCPFC for a South Pacific albacore management procedure, "demonstrates real leadership and growing regional alignment on the need for science-based rules."
The alliance said South Pacific albacore remains a healthy stock, but the fishery that depends on it has become increasingly unpredictable. Fluctuating catch rates and uneven economics are creating uncertainty for fleets, island states and global buyers.
"The albacore fishery follows boom and bust cycles. But each boom is lower than the previous and each bust is deeper," added Dr Wetjens Dimmlich, Policy Lead at the GTA. "This is bad for business and also for the Pacific Island economies that depend on stable catches.
"The FFA proposal provides the WCPFC with a strong starting point, based on many years of work and the best scientific advice. Adopting it would provide the assurance of sustainability that markets need and long-term stability for the fishing industry."
