INTERNATIONAL WATERS
EXPERIENCE NOTES
2
http://www.iwlearn.net/experience








2007-005

Participation in a Fisheries Commission
and the Adoption of Conservation and
Management Measures for Sustainable
Use of Transboundary Oceanic Fish
Stocks



Abstract: The OFM project's two objectives are to improve the understanding of the transboundary
oceanic fish resources and related features of the Western and Central Pacific Warm Pool Large Marine
Ecosystem (WCPWP-LME) and to create new regional institutional arrangements and reform, realign and
strengthen national arrangements for the conservation and management of transboundary oceanic
fishery resources. The Convention that established the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Commission is the first major regional application of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement. The WCPF
Commission receives advice and recommendations principally from committees dealing with science, an
ad-hoc data task group and another on technical and compliance matters, all of which Pacific SIDS fully
participate. The performance of Pacific SIDS as members of the WCPF Commission is commendable but
it remains to be seen if their application and energy is sustainable in the long term. The historical
development of regional cooperation resulting in the way in which Pacific SIDS contribute to regional
fisheries management in the current environment may serve to provide guidance to groupings of
developing States elsewhere, that share similar resource management issues.


N. Barbara Hanchard
Barbara.hanchard@ffa.int
1

---

Building Participation in a Fisheries Commission and the Adoption of
Conservation and Management Measures for a Sustainable Use of
Transboundary Oceanic Fish Stocks

Experience of the GEF - sponsored

GEF/UNDP: Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries Management Project
GEFID: 2131, UNDP-PIMS: 2992

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In addition, the Pacific Oceanic Fisheries

Management Project goals are to protect
The Pacific Islands Oceanic Fisheries
biodiversity in the WCPWP-LME, enhance the
Management Project (OFM Project) has two
conservation and management of the world's
immediate objectives that address previously
largest stock of transboundary oceanic fisheries
identified root causes of threats to the
and to help Pacific Island States, many of whom
sustainability of the Pacific region's oceanic fish
are small island developing states (SIDS) and to
resources. The OFM's transboundary diagnostic
improve contributions to their sustainable
analysis (TDA), performed for the project's
development through improved management of
Strategic Action Programme (SAP) identified the
those stocks and the conservation of oceanic
following causes:
marine biodiversity generally.
S the lack of understanding, which refers to 1)

general awareness about oceanic fisheries
The OFM Project commenced in late 2005 and
management issues. While there is
will conclude in 2010.
considered to be a generally high level of

awareness region wide, what does need
THE EXPERIENCE
attention is the understanding of the

measures that need to be taken and the
Through earlier intervention in a first phase of
legal, policy and institutional reforms that
the OFM Project, GEF financing was
need to be made to ensure resource
instrumental in assisting Pacific Islands States to
sustainability. 2) Information gaps on the
take a leading role in establishing the Western
main target stocks in oceanic fisheries. The
and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
gaps in information really relate to the early
(WCPFC), the headquarters of which is now
stages of the development of stock
based in Pohnpei, Federated States of
assessment models which still produce a
Micronesia. The Convention that established the
degree of uncertainty about some results.
WCPFC is the first major regional application of
S weakness in governance concerning
the UN Fish Stocks Agreement. The work of the
oceanic fisheries in international waters of
Commission ends a situation without regulation
the region.
of fishing in the high seas of the western and

central Pacific by establishing long term
The OFM project's two objectives are:
conservation and management arrangements

for the regions highly migratory fish stocks.
S The information and knowledge objective

which is to improve the understanding of the
Global concerns have been expressed over
transboundary oceanic fish resources and
excessive exploitation of living and non-living
related features of the Western and Central
resources due to inadequate management and
Pacific Warm Pool Large Marine Ecosystem
control measures. Such measures are
(WCPWP-LME); and
advocated in the GEF Operational Strategy.
S The governance objective is to create new
GEF-funded International Waters projects seek
regional institutional arrangements and
to increase capacity in countries to understand
reform, realign and strengthen national
and address transboundary water related
arrangements for the conservation and
environmental concerns. The incremental costs
management of transboundary oceanic
funded by GEF through the OFM Project
fishery resources.
primarily benefit the Pacific States of the Cook

Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,
2

---

Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Papua
recognized, enshrined in the WCPF Convention
New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau
is, amongst other things, the need to ensure that
(Territory), Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, as they
a disproportionate burden of conservation does
participate in the formulation of conservation and
not fall on developing states, territories and
management measures for transboundary fish
possessions of the Commission membership.
stocks in the western and central Pacific.


At the third session of the WCPF Commission,
These Pacific Island States can mostly be
inaugurated in December 2004, a number of
described as small and developing, and along
conservation and management measures and
side major trade and aid partners involved in the
resolutions were adopted. To date, a total of five
WCPF Commission as fishing States. Their
resolutions and fifteen conservation and
available
management resources are
management measures have been agreed to-
incongruous. It is in this uneven environment
date. These measures seek to regulate matters
that Pacific SIDS took a leading role in the
related directly to fishing impacts on species, to
establishment of the WCPF Commission and
compliance issues on systems and fishing
continues to actively participate in the formal
vessel standards. "Compliance issues on
meetings of the Commission. They are required
systems" in this context refers to the
to also apply conservation and management
conservation and management measures
measures in their waters that are compatible
adopted to establish a Commission Vessel
with international Law of the Sea instruments;
Monitoring System, Observer Programme,
including exercising control over their vessels
records of fishing vessels and authorization to
fishing on the high seas.
fish, Commission Boarding and Inspection

procedures, the establishment of list of
The third regular session of the WCPF
suspected IUU vessels and other such
Commission took place at Apia, Samoa from 11
"compliance systems". A large number of these
- 15 December 2006. The WCPF Commission
measures have been as a result of very
receives advice and recommendations
proactive and collective intervention by Pacific
principally from committees dealing with
SIDS countries.
science, an ad-hoc data task group and another

on technical and compliance matters, all of
Concerns for the current stock status of bigeye
which Pacific SIDS fully participate. A committee
and yellowfin tunas in the western and central
has also been established by the WCPF
Pacific Ocean are such that the WCPF
Commission which considers matters that relate
Commission has imposed decisions to maintain
to the northern part of the management area of
current fishing levels. The WCPF Commission
which certain Pacific SIDS are involved.
as a general rule applies decisions on the basis

of consensus but makes provisions for a two
Efforts to ensure effective participation in the
chambered system of voting on questions of
work of the newly establish WCPF Commission
substance while providing an appeal process.
by Pacific SIDS is not without challenges. The
However, all final outcomes are binding on
tempo of work emanating from the
members of the Commission as well as
Commission's work challenges its lesser
cooperating non-members. To date all
resourced members. The implementation of
conservation and management measures taken
management decisions made by the WCPF
at the WCPF Commission have been arrived at
Commission and the monitoring of their effect is
through consensus including those relating to
extremely important to Pacific SIDS, where
"concerns for the current stock status of bigeye
socio-economic dependence on oceanic
and yellowfin tunas in the Western and Central
fisheries is high.
Pacific Ocean". As such the WCPF Commission

has imposed decisions to maintain current
RESULTS AND LEARNING
fishing levels while looking for ways in which to

reduce fishing mortality in order to maintain the
The Pacific SIDS's relative strength lies in their
bigeye and yellowfin stocks at levels capable of
cohesiveness and their long history of
producing the maximum sustainable yield.
cooperation for the management and
Furthermore, the WCPFC are looking for ways
conservation of fishery resources in the Western
in which to reduce fishing mortality in order to
and Central Pacific. As a result of their
maintain the bigeye and yellowfin stocks while
persistence to have their special requirements
still producing the maximum sustainable yield.
3

---

the assistance provided through GEF and the
Other decisions made by the third WCPF
OFM Project.
Commission include supporting ecosystem-

based approaches to fisheries management by
During the negotiations of the WCPF
mitigating the impact of fishing on seabirds,
Commission that established the Commission, it
precautionary measures for the declining stock
was with great determination that Pacific SIDS
abundance of swordfish and striped marlin in the
advocated for full recognition for the special
southwest Pacific and the collection of data on
requirements of SIDS. In practical terms, this
sharks. In terms of compliance issues, the
gives effect to a special fund to facilitate
meeting also agreed on the establishment of a
participation in the Commission and its meetings
Commission vessel monitoring system, a
and serves to prevent the temptation to
regional observer programme, procedures for
schedule numerous ad-hoc Commission
boarding and inspection and a list of vessels that
meetings or events at which Pacific SIDS would
have presumed to have carried out IUU (illegal,
be hard pressed to be represented. More
unreported and unregulated) fishing in the
importantly, the WCPF Convention provisions
Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
for the special requirements of developing

States are directed at assistance to help Pacific
The performance of Pacific SIDS as members of
SIDS improve and build capacity for
the WCPF Commission is commendable but it
conservation and management through data
remains to be seen if their application and
collection and analysis, stock assessment and
energy is sustainable in the long term. They also
scientific research and compliance.
are faced with a wide range of responsibilities as

a result of WCPF Commission decisions which
SIGNIFICANCE
they must implement by upgrading and

realigning their national oceanic fisheries
Within the GEF International Waters focal area
management regimes.
sustainable management of regional fisheries

stocks is identified as a major environmental
REPLICATION
issue that SIDS have in common, specifically in

the SIDS component of the OP 9, the Integrated
Inter-governmental cooperation and the position
Land and Water Multiple Focal Area Operational
in which Pacific SIDS find themselves with
Program. The experiences in the Pacific region
regard to oceanic fisheries management in the
to manage and conserve oceanic fisheries is
region is unique and in its entirety is not a simple
also of significance to GEF and to
matter to replicate in short timeframes. However,
transboundary water resources management
the historical development of regional
through the adoption of ecosystem-based
cooperation resulting in the way in which Pacific
approaches to large marine ecosystems, within
SIDS contribute to regional fisheries
the large Marine Ecosystems component of OP
management in the current environment may
8, the waterbody-Based Operational Program.
serve to provide guidance to groupings of

developing States elsewhere, that share similar
REFERENCES
resource management issues.


Websites:
The annual agenda of meetings and

consultations that precedes the regular session
http://www.ffa.int/gef/
of the WCPF Commission to date has been
http://www.wcpfc.int/
phenomenal. Prior to both the WCPF

Commission meetings and its subsidiary
Contact Information:
Committee meetings, Pacific SIDS typically

caucus to establish and refine common positions
Barbara Hanchard
for the conservation and management of the
barbara.hanchard@ffa.int
western and central Pacific fisheries. The

burden of incremental costs associated with
KEYWORDS
effective participation in the region's sustainable

conservation and management efforts in its
S Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
fledging stage, to a large extent is alleviated by
Commission
S Pacific
4

---

S Oceanic Fisheries Management

The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
International Waters Experience Notes series
helps the transboundary water management
(TWM) community share its practical
experiences to promote better TWM.
Experiences include successful practices,
approaches, strategies, lessons, methodologies,
etc., that emerge in the context of TWM.

To obtain current IW Experience Notes or to
contribute your own, please visit
http://www.iwlearn.net/experience or email
info@iwlearn.net.
5

---