PINA

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, Vietnam One of the strong Pacific women leaders in Fisheries says news of her appointment to head the Pacific Tuna Commission (WCPFC) is still sinking in. Rhea Moss-Christian, told Journalists in Da Nang, she was well prepared when she decided to apply for the position, a multilateral organisation she is no stranger to. She was the...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, Vietnam The newly appointed executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission(WCPFC) tasked to take on the cause of protecting the world’s tuna stocks has raised alarm by Japan’s plan to release nuke wastewater in the Pacific Ocean. Japan's plan to release over a million tons of radioactively contaminated cooling water from its...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, Vietnam The outgoing executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) says the threat by Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) that 33 MSC-certified tuna fisheries in the region may lose certification is not on the Commission agenda this week. Feleti Teo made the clarification after MSC said if WCPFC fails to adopt management measures...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, in Vietnam Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has adopted a resolution for climate change to be part of its meeting agenda item. This was confirmed to journalists in Da Nang, Vietnam by WCPFC chair, Jungre Riley Kim. “We made some progress report regarding climate change. In Port Moresby, the Commission adopted a resolution on...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, Vietnam Senior executives of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) are adamant the Commission will adopt management measures of a harvest strategy for skipjack tuna before the meeting wraps in Vietnam this week. The long-term sustainability of the world’s most important tuna stocks, those in the Western Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) will be...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, in Vietnam The chair of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has praised the appointment of Rhea Moss-Christian as the first Pacific women to lead the Commission. Speaking to journalists WCPFC chair, Korean Jungre Riley Kim said Rhea Moss-Christian has a proven record of her excellent leadership when she was chair of the...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, Vietnam Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) observing at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC 19) meeting this week in Vietnam have raised concerns about the implementation of a new conservation and management measure (CMM) for the safety, security and well-being of fisher crews. They also called for key safeguards and enhancements of the proposed regulation...

By Henry Puna, Pacific Ocean Commissioner and Secretary General, Pacific Islands Forum This year, our Leaders endorsed the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, setting out our collective approach to achieving sustained security, development, and prosperity for all peoples in the Pacific. In charting this ambitious course, our Leaders are well aware that climate change remains the single greatest threat...

By Pita Ligaiula, in Da Nang, Vietnam Civil society organisations (CSOs) attending the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting in Vietnam believe transhipment in the high seas have increased in the last three years due to COVID-19. This practice, which occurs out-of-sight in areas of ocean beyond the control of Pacific governments, allows vessels fishing illegally to evade monitoring...

By Pita Ligaiula in Da Nang, Vietnam A candidate from the Northern Pacific in the Micronesian subregion is the first woman appointed to be the executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Rhea Moss-Christian from Marshall Islands is the new director of the Commission beating fellow Pacific islander and candidate from Cook Islands Dr Lara Manarangi-Trott for...