November 29, 2016 — European and American tuna suppliers and retailers have called for new interim rules governing the sustainable fishing of Western and Central Pacific tuna stocks.
The group says the interim rules are needed “as quickly as possible”, due to the failure to reach a comprehensive regulatory settlement agreed by country-members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which “allows unsustainable fishing to continue”.
Interim targets should be in place within the next 12 months, read the letter addressed to the WCPFC – which will meet next week in Fiji — with targets including limit and reference points for all target tuna stocks and key by-catch species where these are not currently in place.
Signatories to the letter, including retail giants Target, WM Morrison Supermarkets and Aldi Sud, note that finding a comprehensive fisheries management system is a “time-consuming and complex undertaking”.