PARTIES TO THE NAURU AGREEMENT
20th Annual PNA Ministerial Meeting
4-5 June 2025
Communique

Ministers from FSM, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Tokelau met in Tarawa from 3-4 June 2025 for their 20^th Annual Meeting. Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu were represented by Senior Officials. The meeting was chaired by Hon. Ribanataake Tiwau, Minister for Fisheries and Ocean Resources of Kiribati.

The eight countries that are Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and Tokelau and Vanuatu control the world's largest sustainable tuna purse seine fishery and also manage valuable tuna longline fisheries in their waters.

The Ministers were welcomed, after their arrival, with a dinner reception hosted by the Honourable Minister Ribanataake Tiwau. The Ministers acknowledged the President of the Republic of Kiribati His Excellency Taneti Maamau for officiating the opening of the meeting. 

The key outcomes from the meeting of the Ministers included the following:

Positive Progress for PNA

Ministers appreciated the continuing achievements of PNA in 2024 and 2025 to date, in the management and development of tuna fisheries. These achievements were based on the strength of cooperation by the Parties through PNA in standing steadfastly together to maintain their collective control over their tuna resources and the tuna fisheries in their waters.

Wealth Creation from Tuna Value Chain Participation

Ministers emphasized the priority that they attached to promoting their domestic tuna development through implementing the East New Britain and Tripartite Initiatives. Through these Initiatives, PNA Members will build on the achievements in managing PNA tuna fisheries to generate revenue and conserve stocks to secure a much greater share of the wealth created throughout the tuna value chain. 

Ministers welcomed the progress being made in promoting increased Pacific Islands participation and collaboration in onshore tuna activities through the East New Britain Initiative Working Group. 

Ministers encouraged PNA Officials and the Office to continue to prioritise work to reframe and strengthen PNA arrangements to serve the Parties’ domestic development aspirations. 

Ministers further encouraged looking at broader PNA fisheries certification standards for fisheries, beyond existing arrangements and strategically leveraging supply in-zone catches to enhance vertical integration along the value chain, promoting in region processing including increased dockside offloading and promoting electronic monitoring.

FSM Arrangement

Ministers confirmed the importance of the Federated States of Micronesia Arrangement (FSMA) as a centrally important instrument in their path to enhanced benefits from domestic tuna development. 

Ministers noted the importance of the review of the FSMA eligibility criteria to strengthen the contribution of the FSMA to PNA domestic development, including aligning the FSMA with the East New Britain and Tripartite Initiatives.  

Global Tuna Trading Issues

Ministers discussed the changes taking place in global tuna trading conditions. PNA waters provide 50% of the tuna for canning, globally, from the world’s largest sustainable tuna fisheries. 

Ministers considered that with healthy tuna stocks, well managed tuna fisheries in PNA waters and global tuna supplies tightening, PNA tuna fisheries would likely be resilient to changes taking place in global tuna trading conditions. 

Ministers noted that the enhanced measures being adopted by PNA Members to encourage greater investment in onshore tuna handling and processing, are particularly important when there is increased economic uncertainty around tuna trade.

Climate Change

Ministers recalled the Commitment of PNA Leaders at their 2nd Leaders’ Summit in 2018, to preserve their rights, irrespective of the effects of climate change. 

Ministers continued to affirm that climate justice is an essential element of the PNA work, with respect to climate change. They supported the work being undertaken to seek climate justice for the damage done to PNA tuna fisheries by climate change, including through access to high seas fisheries.

Vanuatu Participation in the PNA Longline Vessel Day Scheme

Ministers welcomed the Vanuatu delegation and commended Vanuatu on its implementation of the Longline Vessel Day Scheme in 2025. 

Ministers noted that this new partnership with Vanuatu was a very important step in strengthening collaboration on tuna management in the region, and the management of the regional longline fishery.

PNA Observers 

Ministers commended the PNA Observer Agency (POA) on achieving, in 2024, the highest level of activity and observer placement in its history. 

Ministers acknowledged the tremendous contribution of PNA Observers not only to the effective implementation and integrity of the Vessel Day Scheme, but also to the broader goal of sustainability in PNA waters and across the Western Central Pacific Ocean. 

Ministers noted the vital role that observers played in the success of the VDS, and in ensuring that the measures put in place to sustainably manage tuna resources in PNA countries are maintained.  

Ministers supported the continuing improvement in their working accommodations, safety and pay.

PNA Office Performance

Ministers noted the continued increasing effectiveness, use and success of the PNA Office in 2024 and commended Officials, the Office, and the Marshall Islands on this achievement. They recognized that effective management of the Office is critically important to the Parties, because of its role in administering the VDS, managing funds of the Parties, and supporting the Parties, more broadly, in their efforts to maximize the socio-economic value of tuna fisheries to the people of PNA.

Healthy Stocks

Ministers welcomed the updated scientific advice, from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, that all four tropical tuna stocks in PNA waters continue to be assessed as healthy. 

Ministers were encouraged to see continued stable tuna catches and effort in the main tuna fisheries in the region, which indicated the effectiveness of regional tuna fisheries management, especially through the PNA Vessel Day Schemes (VDS). 

Ministers noted that the Western and Central Pacific is still the only oceanic region in the world where the tropical tuna resources are being fished sustainably.  While the major target stocks are healthy, Ministers recognized the continuing need for further efforts to address the impacts of commercial tuna fisheries on bycatches, ecosystems and the marine environment. 

Ministers expressed concern over the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, and encouraged stock assessments to routinely capture the impacts of climate change. 

WCPFC Approach 

Ministers acknowledged the collective work of the PNA in the successful processes of the WCPFC, such as the adoption of the management procedure for skipjack tuna, delivering a balanced tropical tuna measure, and the restructuring of the compliance scheme to ensure equitable balance across the obligations of the conservation and management measures for different fisheries. 

Ministers affirmed their continued strong support for PNA engagement in the WCPFC, so it continues to deliver value to the PNA and strengthen the management of high seas fishing by reinforcing the Third Implementing Arrangement of the Nauru Agreement.

Marine Stewardship Council

Ministers commended the continuous improvements that PNA were making to ensure sustainability of tuna fisheries in PNA waters. 

Ministers welcomed the recertification of the Purse Seine Fishery for the next 5 years with an expanded scope of bigeye catches and catches from FAD sets and look forward to the development of a broader PNA fisheries certification standard. This has led to an increase of industry partners interested to participate in the PNA MSC program, and the increased volume of catch certified under the program. 

Ministers appreciated that this would enable high quality, affordable sustainable tuna products from PNA waters to continue to be supplied to consumers globally. 

PNA Leaders’ Summit

Ministers noted the next session of the Leaders’ two yearly summit was scheduled for 2025, and acknowledged with appreciation, the invitation from Tuvalu for the PNA Leaders to meet in Funafuti in September. 

Ministers noted that they would be reporting to PNA Leaders on the work undertaken towards achieving Economic Independence Through Collaboration in Sustainable Tuna Fisheries. 

Done on the 5^th Day of June, Two Thousand and Twenty-Five.