Posted on 30 March 2012
- Tumon, Guam: Deadlocked talks and a deferral
of key conservation and management measures
for high value tuna stocks mark a disappointing
outcome for the annual meeting of The Western
and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
(WCPFC), WWF noted as the meeting closed
in Tumon, Guam today.
Particularly disappointing was the failure
to find solutions to resolve the downward
spiral of already overfished bigeye tuna
despite scientists asking for the fishing
to be cut substantially. More and more bigeye
tuna are being caught with no adequate action
to reverse the decline. Precautionary conservation
measures to protect yellowfin stocks, facing
increasing fishing, were also put off.
Positive actions taken by the WCPFC to protect
oceanic whitetip shark and cetaceans were
overshadowed by inaction on whale sharks
entangled by purse seine nets.
WWF expressed dismay at the rapid growth
in longline fleets in the Western and Central
Pacific that target southern albacore tuna.
Catches of albacore have risen from 53000
metric tonnes to 71000 metric tonnes over
the last ten years, placing at risk other
vulnerable marine species like seabirds.
WWF was heartened that a joint WWF and other
conservation organisation submission in
the closing minutes of the meeting that
the commission take urgent action on the
conservation of albacore had drawn the support
of Japan and Pacific island countries and
territories.
“Progress towards sustainable management
of tuna stocks has been frustratingly stalled
and in some cases gone backwards”, said
Daniel Suddaby, Tuna Manager of WWF’s global
Smart Fishing Initiative. “By not implementing
good fisheries management, the WCPFC is
showing a worrying lack of precaution for
the future of one of the world’s most important
tuna fisheries.”
WWF strongly urges WCPFC Member States to
take action to support the implementation
of the precautionary approach to fisheries
management, more in particular to:
Adopt harvest control rules and reference
points in line with international best practice
for tuna stocks;
Strengthen regulations on bycatch species
impacted by tuna fishing; and
Reduce fishing capacity in line with long
term sustainable yields
"Short-term interests combined with
a lack of political will are amongst the
drivers of unsustainable tuna management.
Despite the ground-swell of consumers and
retailers demanding sustainable tuna, WCPFC’s
failure to implement a precautionary approach
to tuna management risks damaging the natural
resources that these fisheries depend upon.
” said Mr Suddaby.
“Incentives to limit fishing effort in Pacific
tuna fisheries must be given serious attention.
A working fisheries management system that
makes sustainable fishing a viable long-term
economic activity in the Pacific and offers
a choice for global tuna consumers is critical.”
+ More
Africa's prized park
needs protection from oil threat
Virunga National Park
in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
is Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse national
park and a World Heritage Site. Almost half
of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas
live inside the park, along with numerous
birds, reptiles and mammals found nowhere
else on Earth. But its under threat from
British company looking for oil.
Marc Languy is WWF’s
Green Heart of Africa Initiative Leader
and has sent in this update:
“Over the past two weeks, WWF has received
alarming reports from our conservation partners
working in Virunga National Park, that British
oil company SOCO International is making
preparations for oil exploration within
park boundaries.
Virunga is an “integral
reserve” under DRC national law and its
World Heritage Status clearly forbids any
type of industrial exploration within the
Park. The company does have authorisation
to explore for oil outside Virunga National
Park and above it by aerial surveys. But
if SOCO confirms its repeated intention
to explore for oil on the ground within
the park the company will be breaching national
laws and international conventions.
WWF has been working
in Virunga National Park for over 40 years
together with the Congolese government and
many other conservation organizations dedicated
to preserving the area’s unique natural
treasures. Shockingly, in that time, more
than 100 Virunga rangers have given their
lives in the fight to protect this jewel
of Africa from those who wish to destroy
it.
Having survived years
of armed conflict, it is devastating to
see an oil company jeopardise the park’s
people and wildlife in its pursuit of profit.
It’s not only because of the drilling and
pollution that oil exploration will damage
the park – the associated influx of people
brings a risk of renewed conflict that could
have a devastating impact on the lives of
local community members, and on the park’s
endangered species.
European governments
have a responsibility to ensure that companies
headquartered in their territories respect
international conventions and national laws,
including when operating overseas. So we’re
asking companies and their shareholders
and investors to join us in declaring World
Heritage Sites off limits for oil exploration.
There are very few extraordinary
places of biodiversity and beauty remaining
on Earth where nature provides so many benefits
to mankind. Virunga National Park is one
of them and it should remain untarnished
for future generations.”
