Collecting and managing information is the core task for the majority of staff employed in Pacific Island Fishery government agencies. The tuna data they collect provides a clear picture of the fishery, a solid basis for management decisions and offers an appreciation of historical fishing patterns.  To support this work, SPC has run a series of regional workshops aimed at sharing the best practices for gathering and preparing tuna data, which are subsequently used in the management of the tuna fishery in the western and central Pacific (see http://www.spc.int/oceanfish/en/meetingsworkshops/tdw).   To convey the message even further and facilitate the implementation at the country level, a series of national data workshops have also been undertaken since the start of 2010.

A record number of participants attended this year’s annual stock assessment workshops hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Oceanic Fisheries Programme (SPC-OFP). A total of 30 participants from 23 Pacific countries attended the workshops which are now recognised as an important program in capacity building for fisheries officers and managers in the region. This year, for the first time, participants were introduced to the Tuna Management Simulator (TUMAS) a new software tool developed by the OFP that allows fishery managers and advisors to evaluate the performance of different management options.  TUMAS allows commission members to explore and compare the results of different management options and assists them to make management decisions and negotiate at regional fisheries meetings.

Tuna fishing in the Pacific Islands region has a rich history. For centuries, tuna have provided an important source of food for Pacific Island peoples and the traditional fishing techniques and equipment involved are part of their cultural heritage. Today, tuna are also an important source of income and employment for many SPC island members. For some, the tuna resources within their 200 mile exclusive economic zones (EEZs) represent their only significant renewable resource and their best opportunity for economic development.

The fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean is therefore diverse, ranging from small-scale artisanal operations in the coastal waters of Pacific states, to large-scale, industrial purse-seine, pole-and-line and longline operations in both the exclusive economic zones of Pacific states and on the high seas. The main species targeted by these fisheries are skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (T. obesus) and albacore tuna (T. alalunga). Artisanal and larger-scale commercial fisheries exploiting the same stocks of these species also occur in the Pacific Ocean waters of adjacent southeast Asian countries, particularly Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has taken a major step toward addressing concerns about shark populations with initial approval of a three-year Shark Research Plan by its Scientific Committee (see Useful Shark Links, #1). The plan will be led by the Oceanic Fisheries Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and will contain assessment, research coordination and fishery statistics improvement components. The overall aim of the plan is to evaluate the status of blue, mako, oceanic whitetip, silky and thresher sharks in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) and to establish better datasets to support future assessments.  Following its recent endorsement by the Scientific Committee, the Shark Research Plan will be presented for full Commission approval at its annual meeting in Hawaii in December.

This article outlines the background and context of shark issues in the WCPO, introduces the key species and previews the forthcoming assessment work.