Photo by Willy Goldsmith | Flickr. CC BY-ND 2.0.
2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Now with 55 contracting parties, ICCAT is divided into 4 panels responsible for managing tunas, swordfish, sharks, and other species across the entire Atlantic Ocean. Each panel has a chair who is formally elected by the Commission to lead discussions on management of their respective stocks. In celebration of ICCAT’s 60th anniversary, this article highlights reflections from all current panel chairs, focusing on major achievements and the trajectory of management strategy evaluation (MSE) and management procedures (MPs).
Dovlo – In 2023, I inherited chairmanship of Panel 1 amidst challenging negotiations on the multi-annual conservation and management programme for tropical tunas. I worked with almost all ICCAT members to conclude 5 years of intense discussions for a new measure to finally be adopted in 2024. An agreement was reached for a new total allowable catch (TAC) of 73,011 t for bigeye tuna, with a new catch limit allocation table that reserved 6,100 t for the small harvesters, while the TAC for yellowfin tuna remains at 110,000 t. This process demonstrated high-level collaboration to converge science-based management and balance individual member interests. In the same year, two important milestones in the development of tropical tunas MSEs were recorded – interim operational management objectives for Atlantic bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and the eastern stock of skipjack tuna, and candidate MPs (CMPs) for Western Atlantic skipjack tuna. In 2025, the first ever tropical tunas MSE was adopted – Recommendation by ICCAT on a management procedure for Western Atlantic skipjack tuna.
Ota – I have been the Panel 2 Chair since 2017. There is no doubt that the most successful event during my tenure is the establishment of an MP for Atlantic bluefin tuna in 2022. For a long time, this species had been managed on a stock basis, namely the eastern stock and the western stock. The Commission set a TAC for the eastern stock at a level higher than the scientific recommendation of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) before 2010. Even after that, the Commission spent much time deciding on the TAC for both stocks because the scientific recommendation was not clear due to data deficiency. To overcome scientific uncertainties and avoid political intervention, the Commission decided to establish an MP since it automatically calculates TAC levels, giving due consideration to scientific uncertainties. It was not easy for managers and stakeholders, particularly fishermen, to understand what was going on in the MSE that produced the MP. Managers and stakeholders tend to look at the possible immediate TAC level while scientists want to look at the performance of an MP for the longer term. Nonetheless, scientists, managers, and stakeholders worked very hard and were able to narrow down the number of candidate MPs from nine to two but could not pick one of them. Finally, on the evening before the last day of the 2022 annual meeting, the Commission agreed to one of them, which would be used to set the TAC for 3-year management cycles. That same day, the Commission also adopted an annual TAC for the first management cycle based on the adopted MP (i.e., 2023-25). The Commission also agreed to allocations among Members.
Mketsu – During my tenure as Chair of Panel 3, one of the key successes has been maintaining a stable and well-managed stock for South Atlantic albacore. The stock has consistently remained in the green quadrant of the Kobe plot, indicating that it is not overfished and that overfishing is not occurring, reflecting sustained collective management efforts by Contracting Parties and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties, Entities, and Fishing Entities (CPCs). In addition, an important recent milestone was the agreement in 2024 on initial operational management objectives for this stock, alongside a structured roadmap toward the development and adoption of an MP in 2027. This represents a significant step in transitioning from traditional management approaches toward more forward-looking, MSE-based frameworks.
Ouchelli – Over the past three years, in my capacity as Chair of Panel 4, we have worked collectively to strengthen conservation measures applicable to several species. The Commission has accordingly approved the measures proposed by Panel 4 prohibiting the retention of the whale shark, mobulid rays (Mobulidae), the basking shark, and the great white shark. Membership of Panel 4 has expanded to now include 44 Contracting Parties, and among the notable achievements is the 2024 MP adoption for North Atlantic swordfish, which established the TAC for the years 2025–2027. This follows extensive work by the scientific working group, as well as close collaboration among all Contracting Parties and stakeholders.
Dovlo – The first ever tropical tuna multi-stock MSE – which aims to evaluate robust MPs within a mixed-fishery context – was initially slated for completion and MP adoption this year. However, at the 2026 Intersessional Meeting of the Tropical Tunas Species Group (20-22 April), the group recommended updating Operating Models (OMs) to the 2025 Atlantic bigeye tuna stock assessment to reflect recent fishery trends and revised assumptions about natural mortality and uncertainty. A 2027 MP adoption has since been proposed to modify OMs and test CMPs in single-stock MSEs before progressing to multi-stock MSEs. That said, there is still work for the panel to do this year on this MSE as it will be important for Panel 1 to review and provide feedback on the initial CMP structure and results at the next meeting in November. With last year’s adoption of the MP for Western Atlantic skipjack tuna, work has also started on the stock’s exceptional circumstances protocol.
Ota – During the 2025 SCRS meeting, scientists could not agree on how to handle data from an Atlantic bluefin genetic analysis known as close-kin mark recapture (CKMR), which indicated that the western stock was much larger than previously considered. More specifically, scientists could not agree on whether the availability of such new data and the calculated size of the western stock would justify an exceptional circumstance (i.e., an unforeseen event or condition that falls outside the range of possibilities tested in the MSE). As a result, the SCRS provided two sets of TACs to the Commission. Further, some Members advocated that their fishermen were seeing a large number of fish in recent years, which corresponded to the results of the CKMR analysis. The Commission agreed to a TAC for the west area that is not necessarily in line with the MP but confirmed that the MP will be applied strictly at the 2028 annual meeting. In the meantime, work has begun on the bluefin tuna MSE health check and MP review, per the schedule agreed in the adopted MP.
Mketsu – The current focus is on advancing the technical development of the MSE for South Atlantic albacore. This includes further refinement of OMs, continued testing of CMPs, and incorporation of key sources of uncertainty identified by the SCRS. A dedicated MSE Technical Team has been established, and initial work has already been undertaken, including conditioning OMs on the 2020 stock assessment and exploring uncertainty through multiple scenarios. Upcoming work includes data preparation, refinement of CMPs, and continued interaction between the SCRS and Panel 3 to ensure that performance indicators align with agreed objectives. I look forward to reviewing the initial MSE results within Panel 3 at the 2026 Commission meeting.
Ouchelli – This year, per the MP adopted for North Atlantic swordfish, Panel 4 will assess exceptional circumstances. It should be emphasized that the adoption of this MP has paved the way for the MSE approach for blue shark (Prionace glauca), which is currently ongoing. Furthermore, stock assessments for Mediterranean and South Atlantic swordfish are being conducted this year, which may serve as a basis for future MSE-related work.
Dovlo – With the support of all Panel 1 members, I expect to see some preliminary results for the tropical tunas multi-stock MSE CMPs this year, along with a thorough roadmap for feedback and fine tuning for adoption in 2027. Also noteworthy is the exceptional circumstances protocol for Western Atlantic skipjack tuna incorporating climate change scenarios for adoption in 2026.
Ota – Based on the work plan for bluefin tuna agreed to in 2022, the Commission will start checking the stock status in 2026 and reviewing the current MP in 2027, which may end up with amendments to the MP or establishment of a new MP in 2028. For this purpose, several intersessional meetings involving scientists, managers, and stakeholders may be needed again in 2026 and 2027. This is also different from the initial expectation that once an MP is established, not so much time and energy will be required to maintain it. People are beginning to understand that an MSE and maintenance of an MP can sometimes be cumbersome rather than saving time, but there is no option to go back to the old era when Members had different interpretations on scientific advice and spent so much time agreeing to TACs. Brushing up on the MP would be the only way forward.
Mketsu – Given the significant progress made to date, there is a growing sense that this South Atlantic albacore work may advance more rapidly than initially anticipated. Subject to continued technical and policy alignment, it would not be unreasonable to envisage the Panel being in a position to consider adoption of an MP earlier than planned, potentially as early as the coming year. The agreed roadmap provides a clear pathway toward adoption of an MP, currently envisaged by 2027. In the near term, efforts will focus on finalizing the MSE framework, refining CMPs, and evaluating their performance against agreed objectives.
Over the medium term, the process will move toward narrowing down CMPs and supporting decision-making within Panel 3, with the aim of adopting an MP at the Commission level. Beyond this, attention will shift to implementation aspects, including the development of protocols for exceptional circumstances and ongoing evaluation of performance.
Overall, if momentum is maintained, this process has the potential to further strengthen the long-term stability and predictability of management for South Atlantic albacore within ICCAT.
Ouchelli – I expect to see gradual expansion of current management measures to other shark species and the integration of climate change impacts into our overall approach. There has been particular interest in climate change testing for MPs developed through MSE. Members are working diligently to strengthen data collection of sharks and other bycatch species which will help inform the Panel 4 recommendations to the Commission.
Plans are in the works for a more defined, thorough consultative process that promotes inclusive fisheries management. This may be especially relevant within the framework of establishing recovery programs for white marlin and roundscale spearfish. This approach takes into account the specific circumstances of CPCs that are Small Island Developing States, operating within a complex scientific and social context.
©FAO/Giulio Napolitano
Blog originally published on FAO’s Common Oceans Program Newsroom.
Focus on All Tunas 2028 for the adoption of long-term harvest strategies
28/04/2026
Boston – Tuna harvesting and sustainability generated widespread interest during events staged by the Common Oceans Program Tuna project at the Seafood Expo North America in March.
The Seafood Expo North America (SENA) is the continent’s largest seafood show. This year’s event from 15-17 March drew more than 20,000 industry professionals and experts who exchanged views on the current state and the future of the seafood sector.
The role of tunas, some of the most important seafood species in overall volume and value, was advanced by the GEF-funded Common Oceans Tuna project through a booth and panel discussion to promote the All Tunas 2028 initiative.
All Tunas 2028 aims to give seafood retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and others a voice to promote adoption of harvest strategies for the most commercially valuable tuna stocks by the end of 2028.
More than 60 people attended the panel discussion which highlighted the importance of management procedures (MPs), also known as harvest strategies, and their impact on the seafood supply chain as well as the vital role played by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).
Shana Miller, project director, International Fisheries Conservation at The Ocean Foundation, said: “SENA provided a valuable opportunity to engage with an often-underrepresented RFMO stakeholder—the seafood supply chain professionals who bring fish from vessel to consumer.”
“Harvest strategies are essential for ensuring the long-term fishery stability and abundance that underpin their businesses,” Miller said. “That’s why they support All Tunas 2028, and HarvestStrategies.org is proud to be the online home of this important initiative.”
Katy Hladki, senior officer, markets, international fisheries at The Pew Charitable Trusts, stressed the importance of SENA as an opportunity to engage with stakeholders across the supply chain.
“We were excited to see such strong interest in the All Tunas 2028 initiative,” Hladki said. “It was a great kick off to this important work to bring market voices to RFMOs and support the timely adoption of harvest strategies for all tuna stocks.”
RFMOs are critical for the management of the world’s most valuable fisheries, yet the seafood markets and in particular, consumers, rarely participate in their decisions.
Industry taking the next step to connect RFMOs with fisheries and markets
Nicole Condon, the director of Brand & Social Impact at Oddisea SuperFrozen and Vice-Chair of the board at Sea Pact, said industry players, like Sea Pact, were taking the next step in RFMO engagement to connect fisheries and the markets in which we operate.
“We often find a gap between in-market sustainability demands—including new regulatory requirements—and the adoption and implementation of critical steps, such as harvest strategies, at the RFMO level,” Condon said.
“We must do more to not only relay the urgency of this work for our own operations further down the supply chain, but also do more to build trust as reliable partners in this process. That is why we support initiatives like All Tunas 2028.”
Across the five tuna RFMOs, MPs have been adopted for a subset of the world’s commercially important tuna stocks, covering more than half global tuna production. However, progress remains uneven.
Of the 23 RFMO‑managed commercially important tuna stocks, only ten currently have an agreed management procedures in place. Eight others are at advanced stages of MP development, while for four stocks, development has yet to be initiated.
That means a substantial share of global tuna production continues to be managed through stock‑assessment‑based decision‑making, alongside ongoing efforts to broaden the application of management procedures
FAO has developed an e-learning series, Management Procedures for sustainable tuna fisheries in collaboration with The Ocean Foundation, the ISSF and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The series introduces core concepts behind management procedures, or harvest strategies, and step-by-step training that aims to strengthen the capacity of fisheries professionals to actively engage in their development and implementation.
Harvest strategies provide for pre-agreed decision-making frameworks that determine allowable fishing levels under different stock conditions. They aim to keep fisheries within sustainable limits while reducing the risk of stock decline.
To learn more:
https://elearning.fao.org/course/mp-series-en
https://www.fao.org/in-action/commonoceans/en
The 10th meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) will take place in Osaka, Japan, from April 14-17, 2026, where the Commission will consider management futures for its priority stocks. This meeting is a pivotal moment for the NPFC to advance the development of management procedures (MPs), also known as harvest strategies, which are essential for ensuring long-term sustainability. The NPFC should progress development of the Pacific saury MP and should take steps to initiate management strategy evaluation (MSE) processes for other priority stocks.
Seeing it through: the Pacific saury MP
The most recent Pacific saury stock assessment showed a slight increasing trend in stock size over the last five years, although the stock is still considered to be in poor condition. The stock is currently managed by an interim harvest control rule (HCR), which was adopted in 2024 and intended only to be a short-term management strategy. The Pacific saury measure calls for the development of an MSE-tested MP by the 2027 Commission meeting, but proposals this year from Japan and Korea suggest pushing this date back to 2028 due to concerns over stock assessment reliability. The proposals also propose reducing catch limits on Pacific saury due to low stock size.
The timeline for adopting the MP should not be delayed until 2028 – the Small Working Group on Management Strategy Evaluation for Pacific saury (SWG MSE PS) (the science-management dialogue (SMD) group created for the saury MSE process) has had three years to complete the technical framework, and disagreement amongst member governments on the acceptability of the stock assessment should not stall the MSE process. Rather, MSE allows for exploration of the effectiveness of multiple different management approaches, all of which are tested for robustness under key uncertainties. For example, if a single assessment model cannot be agreed upon for inclusion as the stock status indicator in the MP, MSE can test data-based or empirical MPs, where the estimation method relies on a simpler stock status indicator (e.g., catch per unit effort/CPUE index, abundance survey). The MSE process can therefore address members’ concerns about the assessment, making it that much more important to develop the full MP on schedule.
A proposal submitted by Taiwan suggests revising the Pacific saury interim HCR to extend stock rebuilding targets, noting concerns that the most recent stock assessment may be overly pessimistic as their fleets have seen recent increases in the CPUE of Pacific saury. This argument should be used with caution, as an increased CPUE index in a specific region does not necessarily imply increased health of the overall stock – it could reflect “hyperstability” in the index, a situation where the CPUE stays level or increases despite an overall decline in the stock. Hyperstability in CPUE indices can occur due to changes in the species distribution (i.e., aggregating to smaller, dense patches of favorable habitat) or increasing fishing efficiency, and misinterpretation of hyperstability has led to disastrous consequences in other fisheries (e.g., the collapse of the northern cod fishery). Additionally, re-opening and revising the interim HCR would divert SWG MSE PS technical capacity away from completing the full MSE, which is the tasking of the SWG. The Commission should recommend that the SWG MSE PS continue to focus on developing the MP for adoption on schedule next year rather than revise the interim HCR; any proposed revisions to the HCR should be evaluated as part of the full MSE.
Opportunities for other species: chub mackerel, sablefish, and squid
While not explicitly on the agenda for discussion, there are opportunities at NPFC to pursue MPs for other priority stocks. For chub mackerel, MP efforts are currently stalled due to resistance to begin a new MSE process before the MP for Pacific saury is completed. However, with an assessment completed and accepted last year, now is the perfect time to begin building an MSE for chub mackerel. The Commission should add language to the chub mackerel measure, which is slated to be revised in Osaka, tasking the NPFC Scientific Committee (SC) to begin MP development and consider funding an external expert to alleviate internal capacity burdens.The Commission agreed to similar language at last year’s Commission meeting, but it was ultimately omitted due to clerical errors; it must be re-added this year. As for sablefish, some exploratory MSE work is being conducted by Canada that should be considered at future intersessional meetings.
NPFC priority stocks also include two squid species – neon flying squid and Japanese flying squid. While there is no established workplan towards the development of an MP for either species, there is a recognized need for squid MPs that consider their short-lived nature and responsiveness to environmental conditions. Preliminary MSE modeling work for neon flying squid was conducted last year, and The Pew Charitable Trusts has now partnered with Blue Matter Science to develop MSE tools and MPs that are tailored to short-lived species such as squid using the openMSE platform. An introduction to the project was presented at the Small Scientific Committee for Neon Flying Squid (SSC NFS) in March 2026, and the work will be continually developed with the guidance of NPFC scientist input. This project provides free science and tool development that can be heavily shaped by the SSC NFS to meet their needs for either priority squid stock. The NPFC should therefore continue to follow and support this work, including encouraging member governments to collaborate with the project developers, to ensure the sustainable long-term management of these priority species.
Building efficient science-management dialogue
To alleviate capacity concerns and make progress on MP development for additional stocks, the Commission should consider the creation of a dedicated, overarching SMD group for MSE processes. Having one single group dedicated to reviewing and overseeing ongoing MSE efforts at NPFC would be a more effective use of NPFC time and personnel capacity than having a separate SWG for each stock (as has begun with the SWG MSE PS). There is an existing example of this framework at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC); the IOTC Technical Committee on Management Procedures (TCMP) includes managers and stakeholders, promotes capacity building, and makes recommendations to the Commission regarding all MSE efforts that are under development at IOTC. Terms of reference (TORs) for a similar SMD at NPFC should be developed this year for approval by the SC in December 2026 and adoption by the Commission next year.
By taking these steps to solidify commitment to current and future MP development efforts using MSE, NPFC can lay the groundwork in Osaka for long-term responsible and adaptive management across all its priority stocks.
A decade worth of work and discussions on South Pacific albacore tuna (SPA) reached an important milestone at the 22nd Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) that was held in Manila, Philippines last December with the adopting of the management procedure (MP), also known as a harvest strategy.
The adoption of the MP at WCPFC22 was critical for two reasons. Firstly, the urgent need to improve catch per unit effort (CPUE) and provide stability. Secondly, the WCPFC’s credibility in terms of maintaining its commitment to establishing harvest strategies for the priority species in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). The SPA MP was scheduled to be adopted in 2024, but this was not achieved. Whilst this may be deemed as a “failure,” all was not lost because the extra year of discussions in 2025 helped progress the discussions on some of the key elements of the MP, especially with respect to the harvest control rule (HCR).
One of the key aspects of the MP is the HCR. At the beginning of 2025, there were more than 30 possible HCRs for consideration. Other important decisions required include the area of application, the fisheries to be covered (i.e., longline and troll), and the level of catch to be assigned for the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) and north of 10°S, including the catch taken from the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Tokelau and Tuvalu.
As the Chair of the WCPFC, my top priority for the WCPFC22 meeting in Manila was the adoption of the SPA MP. This was achieved on the afternoon of the last day of the meeting when the members reached an agreement of the HCR. This was an excellent achievement for the WCPFC and largely due to the strong efforts by the members to make difficult compromises to reach agreement.
The next critical step is the adoption of the implementing measure. A proposal was presented by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) membership at the WCPFC22 in Manila and will be a key document for the 2026 discussions. A dedicated workshop is scheduled to be held in June 2026, and this will be the first session of discussions on the SPA implementing measure within the WCPFC.
One of the key elements that the WCPFC will be discussing at the SPA workshop and subsequent discussions leading towards the 2026 WCPFC meeting is allocation. More specifically, discussions on how much of the total allowable catch is allocated for the high seas and how much for the EEZs of the coastal states.
Article 10.3 of the Convention lists the elements to be considered when developing the criteria for allocation, and it is anticipated that these will be discussed extensively during the upcoming workshop. I am confident that the WCPFC membership will draw from the success from Manila and will continue the work together to reach agreement and adopt the implementing measure for SPA in December.
Josie Tamate, a distinguished Niuean civil servant and the Chair of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), stands as a guiding force of leadership. Her journey, rooted in dedication, saw her appointed as the first Polynesian to helm the WCPFC, the governing body for the world’s largest tuna fishery. With a friendly face and a jovial smile, Josie brings warmth to her role, exemplifying the spirit of her island home.
Last year presented an opportunity to adopt a management procedure (MP) for Pacific bluefin tuna—the world’s most valuable fish. Doing so would have placed all four global bluefin stocks under MP-based management. Although the management strategy evaluation (MSE) provided a strong scientific foundation for selecting an MP, the parties were unable to reach consensus, and the decision was deferred to 2026.
We’re thrilled to report that deliberations resumed earlier this month in Newport Beach, California, USA, with significant progress toward adoption this year. Because Pacific bluefin tuna roam the 5,000+ miles across the Pacific, they are jointly managed by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Northern Committee via an aptly named group called the Joint Working Group (JWG). It was the JWG that met last week.
The number of key players is relatively small for an international fishery. Major fishing nations include Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan in the western Pacific and the United States and Mexico in the eastern Pacific. In Newport Beach, these parties worked constructively toward consensus on an MP aimed at securing the species’s hard-won recovery and ensuring a sustainable, abundant future for both the stock and the fishery.
Preliminarily coined the “Newport Beach Management Procedure,” the proposed model-based MP is a “hockey-stick” style harvest control rule (HCR). It includes a target fishing mortality rate of FSPR27.5% (i.e., the fishing level that would leave 27.5% of the unfished biomass per recruit in the water), and two control points: 20% of unfished biomass (SSBF=0) and the limit reference point of 7.7% of unfished biomass. 20%SSBF=0 corresponds to the species’s recently achieved rebuilding target, while 7.7%SSBF=0 was identified for tropical tunas as a threshold below which stock productivity could be impaired.
While agreement on these core MP elements marks a major milestone, several important details remain to be resolved when the JWG reconvenes in Nagasaki, Japan, July 8-11. Members will need to agree to the relative impact of the western and eastern Pacific fisheries, as well as measures to limit catches on the smallest juvenile fish, among other provisions. Nevertheless, the most complex negotiation—the agreement on the harvest control rule—has now been successfully completed.
If finalized this year, the adoption of an MP for Pacific bluefin tuna would represent a historic achievement in international fisheries management, completing the global transition of all bluefin stocks to science-based, pre-agreed management frameworks. Such an outcome would not only help safeguard the long-term health of the species, but also provide greater predictability and stability for the fisheries and communities that depend on it, demonstrating what is possible when nations collaborate around shared scientific goals. We urge JWG members to bring the collaborative atmosphere fostered in Newport to Nagasaki this summer.
While traditional international fisheries management is backed by scientific data, quota setting can often get bogged down in the mire of national interests and scientific uncertainty. This can lead to protracted negotiations and opaque rules, making it difficult for the industry to plan operations and for managers to effectively control risk. It is precisely because of these challenges that “management procedure” (MP) – also known as harvest strategies (HS)– have emerged to meet the moment.
“Harvest Strategies (HS) are like a modern fishing vessel; at first glance, they might seem complex and daunting! But once understood and familiarized, they can bring unprecedented efficiency and sustainability. From a scientist’s perspective, the most significant advantage of HS is that it not only copes with ocean uncertainty but also strikes a balance between multiple objectives, offering clear navigational rules. Although the learning curve for HS might be steep, I believe mastering this ‘ship’ will make our fisheries more resilient, steering us toward sustainable development.” — Dr. Shui-Kai Chang (Leading Scientist on HS from Taiwan)
The momentum is undeniable. As recently as 2021, 112 of the world’s major supply chain companies sent an open joint letter to delegations at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), demanding accelerated action to develop comprehensive HS for all tuna stocks. Moreover, in 2024, a Harvest Strategy 101 webinar organized by The Ocean Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts for supply chain partners attracted seafood stakeholders from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Last December at the annual commission meeting of Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), I witnessed the principles of HS move from webinars to the negotiation table, seeing firsthand how HS guides real-world decision-making
Completing the “Core”: How WCPFC22 Steered South Pacific Albacore Toward Sustainability
In December 2025, the 22nd commission meeting of the WCPFC convened in Manila, Philippines. From day one, voices ranging from the Chair and delegates to observer organizations unanimously signaled that the adoption of an MP for South Pacific albacore (SPA) would be the primary mission of the meeting. That is, they were committed to “completing the ‘core.”
“My top priority for this week’s meeting is the adoption of the South Pacific albacore management procedure. Agreement on SPA MP would demonstrate the Commission’s commitment to harvest strategies and the management of an economically important fishery.” — Dr. Josie M Tamate, Chair of WCPFC 22
“South Pacific albacore remains the highest priority for FFA Members at this meeting.” — Poimatagi Okesene, Chair of Forum Fisheries Committee (Forum Fisheries Agency, FFA)
During the opening session, key fishing members, including Korea and China, also showed support for the adoption of the MP for SPA.
“Korea also places strong emphasis on the harvest strategy agenda. WCPFC 22 should deliver a credible and implementable management procedure for South Pacific albacore, together with an effective implementing measure, and agree on an updated and realistic workplan for harvest strategies across key tuna stocks.” — Dr. Jong-jun Song, Acting Director General of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea
High Stakes, Hard Choices: The Push for Sustainability
The longline and troll fleets are the two primary groups of commercial vessels catching SPA in the South Pacific. In 2024, longliners represented 98% of the catch of SPA at 93,791 mt, . While only accounting for 2% of the overall SPA landings, troll fleets accounted for 54% of the 2024 catch in the southern area (south of X°S). By flag, China (29,732 mt) and Taiwan (known as Chinese Taipei in WCPFC; 11,016 mt) had the highest catch estimates of South Pacific albacore in 2024, representing over 50% of the total longline catch, followed by Fiji (8,436 mt), Kiribati (6,530 mt), and French Polynesia (5,066 mt) .
SPA is a lifeline not only for the economies of many Pacific Island countries but also for the fleets of key fishing nations. Take Taiwan as an example. As the member with the second-largest catch in the region, the livelihoods supported by hundreds of its vessels are heavily dependent on this fishery.
Given the high economic stakes, it came as no surprise that the path to a consensus was fraught with tension. Two key proposals regarding the MP and the Implementation Measure dominated the five-day discussion. The debate over the MP proposal focused primarily on selecting the ideal Harvest Control Rule (HCR), while the Implementation Measure faced heated discussion on the allocation of catch splits between exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and the high seas, which remained a primary concern for members including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and many others.
To facilitate the discussion and help members build consensus over this critical issue, the work extended far beyond standard hours. After long, formal plenary sessions, participants stayed behind to share concerns and debate possible paths forward, often skipping dinner or eating late into the night. When bottlenecks emerged during these extra evening sessions, the negotiations spilled over into the margins, with delegates holding intense one-on-one discussions during lunch hours or coffee breaks.
Underpinning these grueling hours was the harsh reality facing the industry. Beyond the conference rooms, I witnessed the genuine struggles of the stakeholders involved. The Taiwanese industry, for instance, affirmed their support for sustainable fisheries management but highlighted a difficult truth – even the HCR offering the highest yield (catch) would still fall below their current catch levels due to an agreement to increase the population size to a higher target size to facilitate a more cost-efficient fishery. This reduction poses an immediate challenge to the livelihoods of the fishermen, and with future allocation decisions looming, many vessels fear they will be forced to terminate operations entirely.
Yet, recognizing that a stalemate would serve no one, the Commission pushed forward. Despite the limited time and the sheer volume of work at WCPFC 22, members prioritized the SPA MP. While there was considerable “push and pull,” with some members striving for an HCR that maximized catch, the group finally concluded at the selection of HCR 7 on the last day of the meeting. In a statement made on the final day, the representative of Taiwan acknowledged the painful trade-offs, noting that while tens of thousands of their fishermen depend on this fishery and would face further operation challenges regarding the 2026 allocation split, they would support the consensus. In the spirit of cooperation, they accepted HCR 7 to ensure the long-term viability of the stock.
Getting the SPA MP to where it is today was no easy task, as the entire process spanned several years, from the establishment of the MP workplan, multiple workshops, and intersessional groups, to bilateral discussions, and finally adoption at the Commission meeting in 2025. For me, attending my first WCPFC meeting as an observer from Taiwan was an eye-opening experience. I saw firsthand the heavy lifting required to bridge the gap between conservation goals and the economic realities of key stakeholders. The Representative of Samoa summarized this delicate balance perfectly, “The proposed South Pacific albacore Management Procedure and Implementing Measure offers a robust, science-based, and precautionary framework built through extensive consultation, modelling, and compromise, designed to maintain the stock at sustainable levels consistent with the agreed interim target reference point (iTRP) while safeguarding social and economic objectives across the region.”
Sitting in that room, I realized that the core concept of HS is not just about dry policy, but rather, it is really about ensuring stock stability to provide for long-term, sustainable, and stable fisheries for fleets from my country and coastal communities alike.
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Pei-Yun (Lisa) Tsai is a policy specialist with nearly a decade of experience shaping sustainable fisheries advocacy across East Asia. After six years as a Project Lead and campaigner at Greenpeace, where she coordinated multi-stakeholder coalitions and translated technical research into actionable campaigns on issues ranging from fisheries to chemical management, Pei-Yun transitioned to independent consulting. She now focuses on driving policy reform and corporate practice change within the distant water fishery sector, utilizing a holistic perspective to navigate complex political landscapes and foster collaboration between governments, industry associations, and NGOs.