Pacific meeting to target control of tuna fisheries
Quoting Radio New Zealand – 4 December 2019
“Researchers are calling for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to better address its fisheries management challenges.
“The commission - responsible for managing the vast ocean waters - meets in Papua New Guinea this week.
“The Pew Charitable Trust has said due to the high volume of fishing vessels, trans-shipment (transfer of catch between fishing and carrier vessels) and port activities in the region, the Commission had been unable to increase its observer coverage.
“The Trust said the commission needed to strengthen oversight of fishing vessels at sea, and in port, and modernise management for long-term sustainability.
“Jamie Gibbon, of the Trusts' international fishing team, wrote in an article for Pew that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing was a major threat to the sustainability and profitability of the world's fisheries.
“He said sound fisheries control also required clear rules regarding how much fish could be caught and with what gear.
“Mr Gibbon said that would help fishing levels become sustainable.
“To achieve that, the commission should strengthen port controls, increase observer coverage and improve monitoring of trans-shipment.”
Copyright @ 2019, Radio New Zealand.
