PACIFIC ISLANDS, 12 APRIL 2012: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) expressed its concern about ongoing incorrect "alerts to consumers", from Earth Island Institute regarding Pacifical, a commercial initiative of PNA nations to trade sustainably harvested tuna from PNA waters.

“We understand Earth Island Institute is issuing alerts to consumers and directing our processors and buyers that Pacifical is not part of its “dolphin safe” programme and therefore cannot be traded, or considered "dolphin safe". It is true that neither PNA nor Pacifical are part of the Earth Island Institute programme, but PNA’s tuna is sustainably harvested and has a much higher standard of marine conservation and management. Further our standards is independently verified, something no other programme can claim,” said PNA Chairman Sylvester Pokajam.

The PNA are eight Pacific Island countries that control the world's largest sustainable tuna purse seine fishery supplying 50% of the world’s skipjack tuna (a popular tuna for canned products). Part of their management of tuna fishing includes controlling bycatch of other species in a broad ecosystem approach.

In the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, tuna and dolphins do not swim together, as verified by scientists at various tuna commissions and in other reviews of species behavior at sea. Nevertheless, in the unlikely event that interactions occur, fishers in the Pacific will take measures to release dolphins alive, as they do with the endangered whale shark and turtles according to terms of fishing licenses.

PNA have been champions for marine conservation and management, taking unilateral action to conserve overfished bigeye tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean , including high seas closures, seasonal Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) bans,  satellite tracking of boats, in port transshipment, 100% observer coverage, closed areas for conservation, mesh size regulations, tuna catch retention requirements, hard limits of fishing effort, prohibitions of targeting whale sharks, shark action plans, and other conservation measures to protect the ecosystem overall. The PNA annually pushes for the adoption of compatible measures at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). 

PNA Director Dr Transform Aqorau said: “There are many sustainability labeling programmes for tuna globally, and PNA and has attained Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for free school skipjack that its fishery and ecosystem  is sustainable - a world first. The MSC ecolabel is widely known as being the most rigourous, science based, assessment of the sustainability of the whole fishery, it's overall ecosystem. We sought this certification because we want the highest environmental standards and credible labels with clear selection criteria, public transparency in their information and monitoring. We do not believe initiatives, like Earth Island Institute’s programme, that allow companies to certify themselves are relevant or reliable today, they once had a role 20 years ago in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  We have a raft of policies and also 100% observers onboard every one of the PNA purse seine fishing vessels at sea to monitor compliance with our rules about fishing for tuna sustainably, something no other programme has, and infringements are prosecuted."

“If individuals or companies are interested in information on the PNA fishery, or  Pacifical co-branded products, they should contact the PNA office for the correct information.

“In light of our findings of the invalidity of other programmes being pushed in our fishery, we are actually working on development of our own PNA sustainable dolphin safe label which will be a symbol for our sustainable management of the whole ecosystem, and available to all sustainably caught tuna from our waters, without charge or trade limitations. This will be discussed and released following the next annual meeting of the PNA in Alotau, Papua New Guinea.”

PNA Commercial Manager Maurice Brownjohn added: “Meanwhile, PNA also invites interested civil society stakeholders, regional bodies, fishing industry players, processors, traders, and retailers to lend their support to PNA developing a credible standard and providing to the consumers a reliable "dolphin safe" sustainability standard for all tuna from our PNA region, a standard that is ecosystem based, globally recognised, backed by our national laws, policies, 100% coverage by independent observers and enforcement, and with civil society oversight.”