December 12, 2025 — Tuna and technology took top priority—and top wins—for the United States at the 22nd Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting. It was held December 1–5, 2025, in the Philippines.
Led by Andrew Lawler, NOAA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries, the U.S. delegation:
- Protected American Samoa and U.S. troll interests in the South Pacific albacore fishery
- Fought for the economic viability of Hawaiʻi’s long line fleet targeting bigeye tuna
- Secured the lead to develop an electronic monitoring measure for adoption at next year’s meeting
“The U.S. delegation worked very hard together to achieve these wins and, quite frankly, knocked it out of the park,” Lawler said. “We ensured a robust opportunity for our commercial fishing interests while enhancing conservation of our shared fishing resources.”