Tuna industry

The meeting is part of the Secretariat’s work programme emanating from Forum Fisheries Ministers.  At their meeting held in Pohnpei, FSM in June 2019, Ministers agreed that this work would include:

(i) adaptive management regimes (ii) working with a consortium of partners to secure maritime boundaries in the face of sea-level rise and (iii) managing tuna stocks to support their contribution to the food security of Pacific Island communities.

Approximately 60 percent of the raw material for the global tuna canning market comes from the WCPO. There are two reasons why COVID-19’s impact on the tuna industry should be monitored.

First, shelf-stable foods, such as canned tuna, have taken on a new level of significance for food security. Second, Pacific island countries are dependent on revenues from the licensing of fishing vessels.

Chief Executive Officer of Tonga’s Fisheries Department Dr Tu’ikolongahau Halafihi told Pacific journalists in Manila that is their target.

“We can see that things are increasing but there is still a lot more work to be done.

“There are incentives that we have put in place to help our people who are interested to get into the industry.

“At the same time we also have incentives to help foreign vessels who operate under our Tongan flags.”