The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) concluded its annual meeting with a mix of meaningful progress and consequential deferrals — outcomes that not only validate the Commission’s capacity to deliver science-based reforms but also highlight areas where urgent follow-through is needed. For the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), we must assess these decisions against what we urged WCPFC to advance this year.
This year’s meeting demonstrated that when WCPFC members align around shared scientific objectives, significant outcomes are possible. The adoption of an interim management procedure for South Pacific albacore and strengthened seabird protections underscore this potential. Yet on other ISSF priorities — including FAD management, longline observer coverage, and IUU prevention — the Commission deferred essential decisions to 2026, widening the gap between WCPFC and other tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs).
A Clear Win for Science: South Pacific Albacore Management Procedure
Among the most positive outcomes was the adoption of an interim management procedure (MP), also known as a harvest strategy, for South Pacific albacore — an important fishery for small island States and MSC-certified fleets — the top ISSF priority heading into the meeting. In fisheries management, the adoption of MPs represents a modern, science-driven approach that replaces annual negotiations with pre-agreed rules that automatically adjust management measures based on stock status. This approach offers predictability and stronger long-term stewardship for tuna resources.
With MPs already in place for skipjack and North Pacific albacore, this latest adoption further demonstrates WCPFC’s responsible stewardship. MPs are a cornerstone of ISSF advocacy across all tuna RFMOs, and this decision is an important step toward more resilient and science-focused management.
Seabird Conservation: A Long-Awaited Advancement
WCPFC also adopted an updated seabird conservation measure — a breakthrough that is years in the making, and a critical success for threatened albatross populations. The improved measure expands protections spatially and requires additional mitigation measures in high-risk areas, a needed response to steep population declines and high overlap between seabirds and longline fishing activity.
This outcome aligns strongly with the recently expanded ISSF Conservation Measure 3.6 for ISSF participating companies, and it is a meaningful reminder of how persistent, science-based advocacy can translate into concrete protections for vulnerable species. The seabird measure is an achievement worth celebrating that should motivate similar ambition across the Commission to act on remaining monitoring and ecosystem priorities.
Compliance Transparency: Foundation Set for Future Reform
The Commission also endorsed a recommendation that sets in motion a 2026 review of the data rules underpinning its compliance monitoring scheme. This step lays essential groundwork for eventually enabling observer participation in WCPFC’s compliance assessment process — a long-standing call from ISSF and its partners.
However, WCPFC remains the only tuna RFMO that does not allow accredited NGOs to observe compliance discussions. True transparency is foundational to modern fisheries governance; therefore, ISSF welcomes this preliminary but notable movement toward improving participation and accountability.
Where Progress Fell Short: Missed Opportunities on FADs, Monitoring & IUU Prevention
While WCPFC made progress in some areas, major priorities identified by ISSF before the meeting saw little or no advancement. The Commission must make these a priority of its work in 2026.
FAD Management: Continued Delays as Other RFMOs Move Ahead
This year’s meeting delivered no substantive progress on key elements of science-based FAD management. Members did not agree to a timeline to transition to biodegradable FADs — even though already established timelines are now being implemented in IATTC, ICCAT, and IOTC — or These were deferred to 2026. The Commission also did not include in the 2026 FAD workplan the creation of a FAD register, adoption of a marking scheme, acoustic data transmission requirements, or the development of clear FAD ownership rules — all essential components of a comprehensive FAD management framework.
Without accelerating progress in these areas, WCPFC risks falling further behind its RMFO counterparts in reducing marine pollution, improving scientific assessments, and strengthening monitoring of FAD fisheries.
Observer Coverage and Electronic Monitoring: No Movement Toward Adequate Monitoring
The Commission again made no progress on increasing longline observer coverage above the inadequate 5% requirement — a level the WCPFC Scientific Committee has repeatedly found insufficient for reliable bycatch estimation or compliance verification.
Although electronic monitoring (EM) standards were adopted in 2024, work to operationalize and implement EM did not advance this year. Achieving even an interim 20% observer coverage target will require fast-tracked progress in 2026. Robust monitoring — human or electronic — remains the backbone of effective data collection, bycatch mitigation, and enforcement.
At-Sea Transshipment and Port State Measures: Critical Reforms Deferred Again
Modernizing WCPFC’s outdated at-sea transshipment and port State measures was a central pillar of ISSF’s 2025 recommendations. Yet revisions to both measures were deferred for at-sea transshipment for the sixth consecutive year.
WCPFC’s at-sea transshipment rules fall far short of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for at-transshipment, especially in requiring 100% real-time monitoring, prohibitions on transshipments during VMS failures, and tighter reporting and notification requirements. Meanwhile, the Commission’s port State measure remains misaligned with key provisions of the FAO Port State Measure Agreement (PSMA), lacking minimum inspection requirements and clear denial-of-entry provisions.
These gaps undermine regional efforts to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. ISSF recognizes the importance of developing necessary tools and implementation capacity to support these critical reforms to ensure strong port State controls. We urge the WCPFC to make this work a priority in 2026.
Looking Ahead: A Clear Agenda for 2026
WCPFC demonstrated this year that collective action grounded in science can produce durable reforms. The Commission’s work on harvest strategies and seabird protection demonstrates a clear result of commitment and focus on shared stewardship of the region’s marine resources.
But the Commission must bring that same commitment to FAD management, EM and observer coverage, and IUU-prevention measures.
ISSF stands ready to support WCPFC members in making 2026 a year of meaningful advancement on these issues: completing EM implementation and increasing longline observer overage; closing loopholes in at-sea-transshipment oversight; aligning port State controls with the PSMA; and delivering robust, science-based FAD reforms that protect ecosystems and reinforce responsible fishing practices.
We are confident that the Commission can build on this year’s progress and ensure the world’s most productive tuna fisheries remain sustainable, transparent, and well-managed for generations to come.
