Samoa has called for stronger, credible science to guide the management of Pacific tuna fisheries as the 22nd Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Scientific Committee gets underway in Apia.
The week-long meeting has brought together representatives from 26 countries, along with observers from non-members and territories, to assess the state of fisheries and consider key management and conservation issues in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
The official meeting was opened on Tuesday, by Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt.
In his keynote address, Schmidt said it was fitting for the meeting to be held in the Pacific, where tuna is central to the livelihoods and economies of many island countries.
“For the peoples of the Pacific Ocean, tuna is not just any fish. It is our livelihood, it is revenue, it is food on the table, and for many of our smaller islands, tuna and other pelagic fisheries are the backbone of our economies.”
He told delegates that decisions made at the meeting would have a direct impact on Pacific communities.
“What you decide in this Hall over the coming days will be felt in coastal villages long before it is felt in any capital.”
The Prime Minister said this was why the work of the Scientific Committee was important and why Samoa was proud to host the meeting.
“Over the past year, the Scientific Committee has continued to strengthen the science that underpins fisheries management, and I want to acknowledge that progress.
“The move toward standardised scientific data submission is a welcome step. Thirty-two Commission Members used the new portal in its first year; this is an important achievement.”
Schmidt also welcomed work on size-composition data and conversion factors, saying these investments would support sound scientific advice in the years ahead.
“I also wish to acknowledge the Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme, which remains the backbone of what we know about movement, mixing, and the impact fishing has on all our tuna stocks,” he said.
He urged the Scientific Committee and the Commission to ensure the tagging programme can be sustained.
“We understand that the Scientific Committee and the Commission will need to look at ways this programme can be sustained. I only urge that any search for savings be guided by what the science needs to remain credible, not by the budget line alone.”
The Prime Minister also outlined Samoa’s priorities for the meeting, stressing that scientific advice must be based on evidence and applied consistently across fisheries and proposals.
“We ask, in turn, that the same good faith, and the same flexibility in how that evidence is gathered and presented, be extended when Pacific Island proposals come before the Commission,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the cost of scientific work and the growing workload facing the committee.
“Second, the cost of good science should not fall on those least able to bear it. As this Committee considers new sampling frameworks, new data requirements, and new monitoring systems, we ask that Article 30 shape every decision from the outset.
“Third, as this Committee looks to prioritise its own growing workload, we encourage a scheduling approach that is practical and sustainable,” said PM Schmidt.
He said Samoa and other Pacific countries were not opposed to scientific accuracy, but understood the consequences when sound science was lacking.
The meeting is hosted by Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and runs until Wednesday, 19 August.
The Scientific Committee will exchange fisheries data and consider stock assessments and the status of fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
Discussions will also cover the Regional Observer Programme, development of the WCPFC harvest strategy framework, and models and methods for managing different fish stocks.
The meeting is focused on strengthening science-based management and international cooperation to support the long-term sustainability of highly migratory fish stocks in the region.
