June 2014

Seafood companies and trade association active in the WCPO submitted a joint letter requesting WCPFC to ensure updated terms of reference are developed for the third Management Objectives Workshop (MOW3), and that every effort is made to ensure MOW3 goes ahead this year, prior to the annual meeting.

In the letter signatories request WCPFC to ensure candidate target reference points and harvest control rules to be developed for albacore, bigeye and yellowfin, in addition to planned continued work on skipjack, for consideration by MOW3 during 2014 and for consideration for adoption by WCPFC11 in December 2014.

Setting target reference points and harvest control is an important step towards addressing crucial aspects of tuna stocks management in the WCPFC as they represent the pillars of setting a harvest strategy for tuna exploitation. To date, the WCPFC has set an interim limit points for Skipjack, Yellowfin, Bigeye and Albacore (LRP= 20% of the equilibrium spawning biomass expected in the absence of fishing) but has not set any target reference points (currently, MSY is the implicit TRP for all species) nor any harvest control rules. Read more below on why reference points and harvest control rules are important.

Among others, the letter was signed by ANOVA and Coral Triangle Processors and Luen Thai Fishing Ventures. The letter can be viewed here.