News and views about compliance and the work of observers in the WCPO
Links to news reports and opinion pieces on this page are divided into two categories: observers, and compliance.
Observers, their work and working conditions
- New Guardian-class patrol boat a welcome asset to tackle illegal fishing in Solomon Islands, TunaPacific, July 2021
- Marshall Islands lodges IUU fishing plan with FAO, Francisco Blaha, TunaPacific, June 2021
- Fisheries operation celebrates 20 years of protecting Pacific waters, TunaPacific, June 2021
- Death at sea: the fisheries inspectors who never came home, Bernadette Carreon, Guardian, June 2021
- The illegal, the unreported and the unregulated, and their presence in the WCPO, Francisco Blaha, TunaPacific, June 2021
- AIS and labour abuses on board, Francisco Blaha blog, December 2020; commentary on some problems with assumptions made in an academic paper, Satellites can reveal global extent of forced labour in worlds fishing fleet
- More deaths on fishing vessels highlight lax approach by operators, TunaPacific, August 2020
- Global Fishing Watch and Pew unveil technology to accelerate transhipment reform, Global Fishing Watch, July 2020
- A roadmap for electronic monitoring in regional fishery management organisations, Mark Michelin, Nicole Sarto and Robert Gillett, in SPCs Fisheries Newsletter number 162, MayAugust 2020
- The back end needs of cameras on board: EM, blog, Francisco Blaha, 2020
- In focus: the story of transhipment, Global Fishing Watch and Pew Charitable Trusts
- Fishing Industry Safety Health Event Reporting (FISHER) Project, aims to record and analyse fishing accidents and fishing-related deaths to improve fishers occupational health and safety
- Kiribati fishing observer death sparks calls for reform, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Pacific Beat, May 2020
- Death on the high seas: the mysterious death of a humble fishing observer, Stuff NZ, April 2020
- Latest death of Pacific fisheries observer highlights protection flaws, Radio New Zealand, April 2020
- Women in fisheries profiles: Rachael Luru,Women in Fisheries Bulletin 31, SPC, March 2020; about the first female observer, debriefer and assessor in the Pacific Islands
- PNA buys revolutionary fisheries information management system, SeafoodSource, January 2020
- Safety of Pacific fisheries observers must be improved: PNA, TunaPacific, February 2019
- PNA calls for safety of observers to be improved following deaths, Radio New Zealand, February 2019
- Solomon Islands tuna fisheries are ready to shift to electronic reporting, WWF, June 2018
- PNG parliament told about observers who disappear, TunaPacific, February 2018
- One of the most important jobs at sea may get more difficult and dangerous, News Deeply, December 2017
- Uncertainty over protection of observers in new fishing measures, TunaPacific, December 2017
- What happened, whats next? Pacific nations at WCPFC13 achieve observer safety, but harvest strategy work looming, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Deaths of PNG fisheries observers hastens new safety rules, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Victory for the Pacific as Japan gives way on tuna boat observer safety, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Observer safety measure stalls at Tuna Commission, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Tuna Commission urged to act to protect observers, TunaPacific, December 2016
- WCPFC13: Pacific solidarity for observer safety puts fishing nations on notice, says FFA, FFA, December 2016
- Eyes on WCPFC13 as support given for FSM calls for safe conditions for observers, FFA, 2016
- Pacific observer data driving the science, underpinning enforcement in tuna fisheries, FFA, May 2016
- United Pacific nations win observer safety measure, Pacific Note, December 2016
- Journalists can play important role on observers safety: WWF, TunaPacific, December 2016
- The Pacific wins the day as Japan obstructs, then agrees to, observer safety measure, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Positive outcomes from WCPFC13, World Fishing & Aquaculture, December 2016
- Moves for better safety for fisheries observer run into trouble at Tuna Commission, Solomon Star News, December 2016
- PNA bid for more control on longline fishing, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Transparency in the Western and Central Pacific tuna longline fishery: Enhancing verifiability with electronic reporting and monitoring, Pew Charitable Trusts, July 2016
Fisheries officer on board fishing boat as part of monitoring, control and surveillance operations. Photo credit: Francisco Blaha.
Compliance with WCPO fishing rules
- Japanese legislature passes law to ban import of IUU seafood, SeafoodSource, December 2020
- Pacific fisheries managers must improve sustainability and stem illegal fishing, Pew Charitable Trusts, December 2020
- The importance of global transhipment guidelines: an opportunity for Pacific island countries, Fisheries Newsletter number 163 (SeptemberDecember 2020)
- Transhipment monitoring portal bring transparency to fishing industry, Global Fishing Watch, July 2020
- FFA: aerial surveillance critical for monitoring of our EEZs — media release, TunaPacific, August 2020
- FFC adopts the FFA regional PSM framework, TunaPacific, August 2020
- FFA coordinates maritime surveillance of Solomons fisheries with NZDF assistance, TunaPacific, July 2020
- Three ways fisheries managers can pivot on monitoring, control and surveillance, ISSF, July 2020
- Global Fishing Watch and Pew unveil technology to accelerate transhipment reform, Global Fishing Watch, July 2020
- Transhipment monitoring portal brings transparency to fishing industry, Global Fishing Watch, July 2020
- In focus: the story of transhipment, Global Fishing Watch and Pew Charitable Trusts, July 2020
- Life below water: ensuring sustainable consumption and production of seafood, Global Fishing Watch, April 2020
- Exchange of maritime boundaries data to boost fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance in region, TunaPacific, June 2020
- Solomons to boost digital compliance to make Noro an e-portâ€, TunaPacific, April 2020
- Skilled fisheries officers a critical part of effective port state measures, as Marshall Islands charge shows, TunaPacific, April 2020
- Experiments with hanging crane scales could lead to faster transhipping: postcard from Majuro, TunaPacific, April 2020
- Life below water: ensuring sustainable consumption and production of seafood, Global Fishing Watch, April 2020
- PNA buys unique fisheries information management tool, TunaPacific, February 2020
- Marshall Islands pushes for better tuna data, TunaPacific, February 2020
- Pacific meeting to target control of tuna fisheries, Radio New Zealand, December 2019
- Study highlights transhipment problems, solutions in worlds biggest tuna fishery, Pew Charitable Trusts, November 2019
- Japan targets seafood poachers with plan for proof of originâ€, Nikkei Asian Review, November 2019
- WCPFC must improve control over worlds most valuable tuna fisheries, Pew Charitable Trusts, November 2019
- Micronesian leaders unite in bid to end IUU fishing by 2023, Tuna Pacific, March 2019
- FFA Director-General makes first official visit to RMI, including on IUU fishing and aerial surveillance, TunaPacific, February 2019
- Pacific meeting to target control of tuna fisheries, Radio New Zealand, December 2019
- FFA wins top prize in global competition to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, FFA, February 2019
- Marshall Islands and Thailand agree to share information to prevent IUU fishing, Tuna Pacific, February 2019
- Marshall Islands and Thailand sign MOU to collaborate on fishing, TunaPacific, February 2019
- Palau to continue to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, TunaPacific, January 2019
- FSM taps into technology for full tuna transparency, TunaPacific, December 2018
- PNA to work with FFA to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region, TunaPacific, December 2018
- High seas transhipments of tuna targeted for action, TunaPacific, December 2018
- Shark fins worse than their bite at tuna talks, TunaPacific, December 2018
- Micronesia and Marshall Islands lead the way in fisheries sustainability, TunaPacific, December 2018
- Ending illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing a high priority for FFA and PNA members, TunaPacific, December 2018
- France calls for strong collaboration to combat IUU fishing, TunaPacific, December 2018
- Transparency for tuna, TunaPacific, October 2018
- Major fisheries meeting opens in Majuro, TunaPacific, September 2018
- Australia, US, Interpol team up for anti-IUU fishing operation, TunaPacific, September 2018
- EU fund targets fish laundering in the Pacific, TunaPacific, September 2018
- NZ commits $4.9 million to help stop IUU fishing in the Pacific, TunaPacific, June 2018
- Overfishing in Kiribati, Greenpeace, February 2018
- Aerial surveillance begins in Western and Central Pacific Ocean, TunaPacific, January 2018
- FFA, SPC Pacific workshop sharpens focus on Vietnamese blue boats, FFA, May 2017
- Intel and analysis continues as Tui Moana surveillance sweep ends, FFA, May 2017
- PNA focuses on organisational strengthening, reviewing fishery initiatives, PNA, April 2017
- Pacific nations keep focus on IUU fishing: monitoring, control, surveillance sessions begin, FFA, April 2017
- Vietnamese reef robbers: Rocking the Pacific boat, TunaPacific, April 2017
- NGO can support Pacific Ocean states as they adopt tech platforms to gain legal edge, TunaPacific, April 2017
- Pacifics NTSA a weapon against illegal fishing, TunaPacific, April 2017
- Technology is changing the game for fisheries management, WWF, April 2017
- Legal “weapon” of focus on drivers and operators of vessels may bring breakthrough to bring down Illegal tuna fishers in Pacific waters, TunaPacific, December 2016
- WCPFC13: Follow not just IUU boats, but also vessel captains, say Pacific nations, FFA, December 2016
- NZ gives $5 million to Asian nations as new illegal fishing threat grows, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Vietnam must do more on its blue boats in Pacific, TunaPacific, December 2016
- High seas inaction undermines conservation efforts by Pacific nations, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Pacific urges crackdown on high-seas tuna cheats, TunaPacific, December 2016
- Report highlights need to build on strengths in monitoring Pacific tuna fisheries, TunaPacific, November 2016
- How much do Pacific countries lose through illegal fishing?, Loop, March 2016
- Tuna IUU fishing report recognises progress and challenges for countries, FFA, March 2016
- New report on Pacific IUU fishing puts confirmed figure on illegal tuna fishing, FFA, March 2016
- Towards the quantification of IUU fishing in the Pacific Islands region, a summary of the study, with commentary, by Francisco Blaha on his blog, March 2016
