High-Seas Transshipment Ban Could Redefine Pacific Tuna Governance

Sharks Pacific Policy Director Bubba Cook has highlighted a critical challenge facing the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC): distant water fishing nations (DWFN) that benefit from maintaining a lack of transparency on high seas fishing. In an interview with PACNEWS, Cook emphasized that countries with heavy reliance on high seas fishing for South Pacific albacore fish represent the primary source of resistance against improved oversight.

Cook noted that over 25% of South Pacific albacore (SP ALB) is caught in these remote waters, where some fleets exploit the absence of visibility to hide their catch volumes and profits. This opacity enables these nations to oppose any initiatives aimed at increasing accountability or imposing catch limits, whether on the high seas or within exclusive economic zones (EEZ).

One clear example of this challenge is the contentious issue of high-seas transshipment. Cook pointed out that Asian DWFNs have actively resisted measures designed to provide accountability for their activities at sea, which often enables them to over-fish areas and deprive Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of their resources.

To counter this issue, Cook proposed that the WCPFC should take definitive action by completely prohibiting high-seas transshipment. He asserted that such a measure would significantly enhance the management of tuna stocks, including SP ALB. “Shutting down high-seas transshipment would compel operations to occur within EEZs, which would be more rigorously monitored by coastal states or, ideally, directed into ports for better accountability and more substantial local economic benefits,” he stated.

Cook warned that without addressing the loophole of high-seas transshipment, the WCPFC’s capability to manage tuna stocks effectively will remain compromised. He expressed concern over ongoing gaps in management strategies until these challenges are adequately resolved, underscoring the pressing need for increased transparency and accountability in high seas fishing operations. The dialogue surrounding these issues is crucial in securing sustainable management of marine resources, particularly for vulnerable regions like the South Pacific.