Fishery council's new management procedure likely to cut South Pacific albacore catch by 10%

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission has adopted a new management procedure that could reduce overall South Pacific albacore tuna catch by about 10 to 12 percent from recent years to approximately 56,000 metric tons in commission waters.

The management procedure provides a pre-agreed, science-based framework for setting catch limits. The aim is to strike a balance between conservation efforts and economic needs to ensure the long-term sustainability of the stock. 

“This management procedure has been nearly a decade in the making, and the U.S. Pacific territories took it over the top with their steadfast support,” said Kitty Simonds, the commission's executive director.

The council said the catch reduction is aimed at easing oversupply of albacore and improving market conditions for small island fleets, including American Samoa, which saw some of the worst economic conditions on record in 2024.

“It is a critical step to stabilize the albacore fishery and the island economies and food security that depend on it," Simonds said.

The decision, reached during council’s 22nd regular session in Manila on Friday, was designed to secure the South Pacific albacore fishery's long-term future, specifically for American Samoa.

It also meets a key requirement to maintain Marine Stewardship Council certification that allows the U.S. territory’s longline fishery to sell albacore to the local StarKist cannery at a premium price.

 “When operational costs are high and catch rates are low, the only fleets that can continue to operate are those receiving substantial subsidies,” said Nathan Ilaoa, council member and director of the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources. “That creates a critical inequity for the American Samoa longline fleet and other small island domestic fleets.”

South Pacific albacore tuna is key economic driver for American Samoa and and is also the staple for the region’s food security. 

Chelsa Muña, director of Guam’s Department of Agriculture, said the council’s position is consistent with protecting island food security and economies.

The U.S. delegation, led by NOAA’s Drew Lawler, advanced priorities for council-managed fisheries, including work toward a bigeye tuna management procedure that considers purse seine as well as longline impacts, and a commitment to adopt a conservation and management measure on electronic monitoring in 2026.

 “Members of the U.S. and territorial delegations viewed his leadership as a vast improvement over previous years and said this year’s delegation presented a much stronger unified front,” Simonds said.

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