November 2017 No Images? Click here Newsletter of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Secretariat for members, participating territories and observers.
Executive Director, Feleti P Teo, OBE Welcome to the fourth and final edition of the Secretariat Quarterly for 2017, the e-newsletter that updates you on news on the Commission and the work of the Commission Secretariat. As this edition comes out members, observers and stakeholders of the Commission will be heading to Manila, Philippines where the Commission will convene its 14th regular annual session (WCPFC14) from 3 to 7 December 2017. The annual session usually attracts over 500 participants and we are expecting the same level of participation for the Manila meeting. It is the second time the annual session is generously hosted by the government of the Philippines, the first in 2012. Immediately prior to the annual session, the Commission will convene a special session on 1 December 2017 in Manila specifically dedicated to progressing the draft Bridging Measure for Tropical Tunas. This is the second such session on the same issue this year; the first was in Honolulu, Hawaii in August. The Commission has prioritized the negotiation of a new measure for tropical tunas to succeed the current measure which will expire at the end of 2017. The negotiations of a new measure will continue onto the annual session with the hope that a measure will be finalized to continue the management regime for bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. The Commission will also consider a draft measure for South Pacific Albacore and recommendations from the Northern Committee on the management of the Pacific bluefin tuna, including a rebuilding plan for the stock. Ongoing work on the Commission harvest strategy work plan will feature prominently in the agenda for the Manila meeting, so as work on bycatch mitigation issue in particular efforts to develop a comprehensive approach to conservation and management of sharks and rays. Members of the Commission will get to hear from the independent panel reviewing the Commission Compliance Monitoring Scheme on their preliminary findings and issues. The panel will continue its consultations at the margins of the meeting and is expected to present its final report in March 2018. Leading into the annual session of the Commission is always a busy period with the annual meeting of the Northern Committee and the Technical and Compliance Committee - updates from those meetings are provided in this edition. The annual meeting in Manila will be followed by the board meeting of the West Pacific and East Asia project and I, with other senior managers will be involved in that meeting together with representatives of the participating countries of Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam and other stakeholders. I am sure members and staff of the Secretariat are all looking forward to the festive season ahead with Christmas and New Year so soon after the Manila meeting. So let me on behalf of the Secretariat extend to you all the merriest of Christmas greetings and a most prosperous new year. Highlights from the 13th Northern CommitteeThe Northern Committee is responsible to consider and make recommendations on the implementation of measures adopted by the Commission for the area north of the 20 degree parallel of north latitude and the formulation of measures for fish stocks which mostly occur in that area. Such stocks include Pacific bluefin tuna, North Pacific albacore and North Pacific swordfish. Its regular session in 2017 took place in Busan, Korea, from 28th August to 1 September 2017. The International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) provides scientific information and conservation advice to the NC. The Northern Committee and the Commission have been extremely concerned about the stock status of the Pacific bluefin tuna stock, which is depleted to 2.6% of the estimated unfished spawning stock biomass. For the recovery and proper management of the stock, the Northern Committee convened a second Joint Working Group meeting with IATTC. This year the Northern Committee provided a revised Conservation and Management Measure for Pacific Bluefin Tuna and a stand-alone harvest strategy document, Harvest Strategy for Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fisheries, to the second Joint Working Group meeting. The Northern Committee also produced an Interim Harvest Strategy for North Pacific Albacore Fishery as a precautionary management framework for North Pacific albacore. Supported by the Northern Committee, the ISC conducted the third Management Strategy Evaluation Workshop for North Pacific Albacore in Vancouver, Canada from 17-19 October 2017 to identify reference points and harvest control rules. The report of the Northern Committee is posted on the meeting website and will be considered at the Manila meeting. Western Pacific East-Asia Project ActivitiesThe Secretariat is implementing a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded (United Nations Development Programme) UNDP project called Sustainable Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the West Pacific and East Asian Seas (WPEA-SM) with Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam as participating countries. Key activities of the WPEA-SM project are related to tuna fishery data collection; estimation of national total tuna caches; capacity building in science; impacts of climate change on tuna fisheries; market-based sustainable fisheries; ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM); development of reference points and harvest control rules at national level; and compliance with WCPFC requirements, etc. Most project activities are composed of research consultancies and workshops to review the consultancy outputs. In the last three months, the WPEA held the following activities: 1. In Indonesia a review workshop was held to review consultancy outputs on sustainable fishing practices, review of national fisheries regulations in line with WCPFC, and a trial EAFM application; 2. In Viet Nam, meetings were held to cover EAFM and sustainable fishing practice, impacts of climate change on tuna fisheries, concepts and proposals for national level reference points and harvest control rules, revision of national tuna fishery profile and review of national legislation on tuna fisheries in line with WCPFC requirements; and 3. The 4th technical workshop and the 5th stakeholders’ workshop for the development of a harvest strategy in the archipelagic water tuna fisheries, assisted by the CSIRO Australia, were convened in Indonesia in October. The illustrative simulation outputs were presented with selected reference points and harvest control rules to calculate the probability of breaching the limit and target reference points. Updates from the Compliance ProgrammeThe 13th annual session of the Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC13) was held in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia from 27th September to 3rd October 2017. The meeting was chaired by Ms Alexa Cole of the USA and over 190 participants attended the meeting. TCC13 established small working groups to progress discussions on the margins of the meeting on the matters of cooperating non-member applications; and developing a comprehensive approach to shark and ray conservation and management. Two members, Christopher Rogers and Don MacKay of the Independent Review Panel for the Compliance Monitoring Scheme observed TCC13 proceedings and actively engaged with delegates to obtain their views on the operation and workings of the scheme. TCC13 committed at least three and a half days to the review of the full draft Compliance Monitoring Report covering 2016 activities prepared by the Secretariat in accordance with Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) 2015-07. The review continued to be held in closed session to the exclusion of observer delegations. In addition, recommendations were made regarding the 2015 and 2016 assessments of Capacity Assistance Needed and Flag State Investigations. TCC13 agreed to recommend a provisional Compliance Monitoring Report to the Commission for consideration at the WCPFC14. A majority of CCMs at TCC13 supported recommending to WCPFC14 that the Commission extend CMM 2015-07 while the Independent Review Panel completes its review work. The routine annual reports of the WCPFC MCS Programmes administered by the Secretariat were also presented and reviewed by TCC13, and they covered the Vessel Monitoring System, Regional Observer Programme (ROP), High Seas Transshipment Monitoring, High Seas Boarding and Inspection, Record of Fishing Vessels, Eastern High Seas Pocket Special Management Area, Secretariat Integrated-MCS Information Management Systems and online reporting IT tools, Administration of Data Requests and gaps in Scientific data submissions. TCC13 also received papers containing draft electronic-reporting standards for observer data and high seas transshipment notifications and declarations. CCMs were provided an opportunity to submit further comments on the draft standards, and SPC-OFP and the Secretariat will submit revised versions of the draft standards to WCPFC14 for consideration. TCC13 also recommended that the three vessels currently on the WCPFC IUU vessel list are maintained. Six cases related to alleged illegal activities undertaken by four vessels during 2016 were reviewed by TCC13, however after receiving updates from the notifying CCMs and responsible flag CCMs involved, TCC13 agreed that no vessels were to be included on the Provisional IUU vessel list. A full record of the TCC13 meeting is posted on the website and the outcomes and recommendations will be discussed at WCPFC14. The Provisional CMR documentation is available to CCMs and their authorized users through the WCPFC intranet and a copy has also been posted on the secure side of the WCPFC website. WCPFC Executive Director Feleti Teo with then New Zealand Pacific Economic Development Ambassador Shane Jones, WCPFC HQ Building, Pohnpei, FSM, 27 Mar 2017. WCPFC in the community Late insert of 2nd and 3rd Quarter news On 27 March, Executive Director Feleti Teo received His Excellency Shane Jones, New Zealand Pacific Economic Development Ambassador and Richard Griffith, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade Environment and Fisheries Unit Manager. Ambassador Jones' visit focused on: 1. The confirmed support for WCPFC request for funding under the NZ Pacific Participation Fund to support costs for the second intersessional meeting to progress the Bridging Tuna measure prior to WCPFC14 in the Philippines. 2. NZ awaits with keen interest progress on the implementation of the NZ funded activities for the WPEA project. 3. NZ would be receptive to requests from WCPFC for internship / secondment by NZ professionals to support the work of the Commission, which may have merits to support work in the Electronic Reporting and Electronic Monitoring area. 4. NZ is at final stages of consideration for support of a SPC project in support of the Commission Harvest Strategy Workplan. 5. NZ is leading intersessional discussions to progress the Bridging measure on South Pacific Albacore but progress has been minimal. FFA and NZ have coordinated a meeting of interested CCMs at margins of the upcoming FFC meeting in May in Canberra. 6. NZ shared the grave concerns of other FFA members affected by the Blue boats scourge in their national waters and the different security risks it entail. Vietnam was pointed out as the principal source or origins of the blue boats. FFA would have convened a meeting of interested members to consider a strategy to deal with the threats posed by the blue boats before the said Canberra meeting. Visitors to the Office Over the last couple months, the Secretariat’s annex building has been used by SPC, Peace Corps, and FSM National Oceanic Resource Management Authority for trainings or meetings. The Secretariat received over 35 students from the Yaizu Fishery School. The students had sailed to Pohnpei, FSM from Shizuoka, Japan. The Secretariat staff provided a tour of the WCPFC HQ building and held a presentation on the role of the WCPFC. The students and the school expressed their appreciation for the information provided in the visit. Aaron Nighswander (center), Finance & Administration Manager with Yaizu Fishery School students in front of WCPFC HQ building, Pohnpei, FSM, 20 Oct 2017. Fiber Connectivity The Secretariat is in the process of upgrading the WCPFC Headquarters (HQ) building to a fiber connection to increased reliability and speed. While working with FSM Telecommunications, the Secretariat took the opportunity to expand the fiber connection through seeking outside funding to expand the fiber connection to key services providers in Kolonia. Once the project is completed, the Pohnpei Public Library, the Pohnpei State Administration building and the Pohnpei Public Hospital will have a fiber connection to the internet. The Pohnpei Public Hospital has recently expanded its use of telemedicine and the fiber connection will be of key importance in their services to the community. Environmental Responsibility At the WCPFC HQ building, the Secretariat has been looking at ways to reduce its impact on the environment. Currently the office receives around 65-75% of its electricity from solar power for its HQ building. Currently the office is investigating ways to further increase the amount of electricity from solar through reconfiguration of its current solar systems. In addition to the use of solar power, the office is investigating ways to reduce its waste that it sent to the state’s landfill. As a first step, the Secretariat has worked with the College of Micronesia (COM) to reuse IT equipment that would be sent to the landfill. An agreement has been reached where the Secretariat will provide used and broken IT equipment for COM IT students to repair. Once the computers are repaired they will be provided to schools on the island and the government will provide the students with a stipend to maintain the computers at the local schools. A number of other organizations on island have committed to joining the project. The office has also committed to ending the use of individual size bottled water to reduce the amount of plastic used in the office and meeting held in Micronesia. The office is also working with COM to look at ways to upcycling cardboard and paper waste. ENDS We welcome new readers to Secretariat Quarterly. Just click the subscribe button and we'll add you to the recipients list.
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