PNA HOLD PRELIMINARY WORKSHOP ON DEVELOPMENT OF REFERENCE POINTS, AND HARVEST CONTROL RULES IN BUSAN, KOREA

The PNA is convening a workshop on the development of reference points  to manage tuna fisheries on 2 August in Busan, Korea. There are various values used to measure tuna stocks, known as reference points, which can be used in management of fisheries.

Tuna scientists from PNA member countries attending the 8^th meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) will be participating in the workshop.  The PNA Director, Dr. Transform Aqorau said: “There are two major prongs underpinning the workshop. The first was to assist PNA in understanding the purpose and implications of management objectives in terms of biological, economic and social outcomes; getting an appreciation of the  role of appropriate reference points; and also the process of evaluating potential management measures in the achievement of management objectives, as required by the Marine Stewardship Council  conditions to certification. The second prong is to initiate the process for defining overall PNA management aims for the skipjack fishery”

Dr. Aqorau said: “It is important that we know where we want the fishery to be, and in particular to know where we do not want the fishery to go, and above all having the harvest control rules that will inform the actions required by PNA countries to avoid overexploitation of the stocks. The move towards the development of Reference Points and harvest control rules is just an integral part of the management of the PNA’s skipjack tuna resources”

The workshop is being facilitated by the PNA Office and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).

The Parties to the Nauru Agreement are, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.