New limit on tuna catch in Pacific to be discussed

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November 29, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will join other Pacific nations next week in Manila to discuss a new plan aimed at limiting tuna catches in the South Pacific, a move designed to protect fish stocks while providing more predictable yields for fleets and industries that depend on the resource.

The measure has been tabled by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) for the upcoming 22nd Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) slated on Dec. 1 to 5 at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City.

“It is important that implementation of harvest strategies shall not result in transferring, directly or indirectly, a disproportionate burden of conservation action onto developing states and territories and possessions,” read a part of the latest draft conservation measure.

The current draft measure sets a baseline annual catch of 9,667 metric tons (MT) for albacore tuna in the waters just south of the Equator, including small parts of the ocean surrounding the Pacific island nations of Tuvalu and Tokelau.

Under the proposed management procedure, this catch would be adjusted every three years based on stock assessments.

Increases would also be capped at 10 percent and reductions at five percent to prevent sudden shocks to fleets and dependent industries.

The plan will apply to both longline and troll fishing operations in national waters and international waters just south of the equator, while small parts of the waters around the Tuvalu and Tokelau are excluded to make the rules easier for those countries to follow.

The procedure also includes safeguards to ensure that small island developing states do not bear a disproportionate economic burden if the plan underperforms.

If approved, the measure would take effect in February 2026.

Allocation of total allowable catches among participating nations will be negotiated next year, with Philippine fisheries authorities actively participating given the importance of predictable catch levels for local longline fleets and the country’s tuna-processing sector.

According to Philippine Statistics Authority, the country’s total fisheries production in the third quarter of 2025 reached 894,320 MT, down by 7.5 percent from the same period last year.

The government’s statistics bureau said the decline was largely driven by lower output in aquaculture, marine municipal fisheries and inland municipal fisheries.

Yellowfin tuna (tambakol/bariles) accounted for 2.7 percent of total production, or 24,342 MT, followed by frigate tuna (tulingan) at 2.3 percent, equivalent to 20,399 MT and bigeye tuna (tambakol/bariles) at 0.8 percent, totaling 6,938 MT.