Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OCEANIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PROJECT II WESTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN TRANSBOUNDARY DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS 1 This Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis was prepared by: Professor David Vousden of Rhodes University South Africa through the support of the following organisations and agencies The GEF unites 182 countries in partnership with international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment. An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since 1991, GEF has achieved a strong track record with developing countries and countries with economies in transition, providing $9.2 billion in grants and leveraging $40 billion in co- financing for over 2,700 projects in over 168 countries. www.thegef.org UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. www.undp.org The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. FAO believes that everyone can play a part in ending hunger. http://www.fao.org/home/en/ The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) strengthens national capacity and regional solidarity so its 17 Pacific island members can manage, control and develop their tuna fisheries now and in the future. Based in Honiara, Solomon Islands, FFA was established to help countries sustainably manage their fishery resources that fall within their 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). FFA is an advisory body providing expertise, technical assistance and other support to its members who make sovereign decisions about their tuna resources and participate in regional decision making on tuna management through agencies such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). https://www.ffa.int/ 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Professor David Vousden wished to acknowledge the many persons who have contributed to the development of this Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis. This document is the result of a number of working groups and consultations with specific inputs from many organisations. Much of the information herein has been gathered from high-quality existing reports and publications which are all clearly cited and acknowledged throughout the document and through the reference section. So many people have proved input, guidance and correction that it would require another lengthy document just to acknowledge them all. However, some individuals and agencies have been particularly supportive and essential to the process. First and foremost in this list must be Hugh Walton, the Chief Technical Adviser and Project Coordinator for the UNDP FAO GEF Project Oceanic Fisheries Management Project II – Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. Hugh has been enormously supportive throughout the process and provided much of the correction and improvement to the draft document. The inputs from other FFA staff were also indispensable and key to the accurate development of the TDA. In particular, Tim Adams (Director of Fisheries Management) provided patient advice and adjustment to the factual content of the TDA and James Movick (current Director-General) provided a valuable overview of the function, political position and ongoing needs of FFA and the Convention. Both Joe Padilla and Andrew Hudson of UNDP have also contributed through their kind guidance and advice, particularly through the logistical process. Also vital to this process were the many colleagues at Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division (FAME) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, too many of them to mention, who gave up so much of their time focusing on vital fisheries management issues to assist and advise. The list would not be complete without mentioning Les Clark who has been so instrumental in driving effective fisheries management in the region and who, despite his commitments and constant involvement at the heart of fisheries management, found time to gently but forcefully correct the mistakes and sensitivities of the original draft. It has been a pleasure reuniting with these people and with the region after an absence of some 15 years since the early days of the Convention and the GEF and UNDP support back at the turn of the century. It has been even more gratifying to see what enormous advances have been made since those early days regarding more effective management and sustainability of the fish stocks and the associated ecosystem. Although there is still much to do there is no doubt that both the will and the expertise are in place. David Vousden, Grahamstown, South Africa. July 2018 Cover Photographs © Francisco Blaha 3 WESTERN CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEANIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT TRANSBOUNDARY DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................. 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW OF THE ANALYSIS .................................................................. 9 1. INTRODUCTION – OBJECTIVE OF A TDA ..................................................................................... 20 2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND GUIDANCE FOR CURRENT TDA ................................................. 20 A. UN GEF PROJECT SUPPORT TO OCEANIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN THE PACIFIC SIDS THROUGH SPC AND FFA (AND PREVIOUSLY SPREP) ................................................................................................... 22 B. SYSTEM BOUNDARY FOR THE TRANSBOUNDARY DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS –THE CONVENTION AREA AND RELATIONSHIP TO ECOSYSTEM OTHER SUB-REGIONAL AGREEMENTS AND TREATIES ................... 27 3. EXISTING MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR OCEANIC FISHERIES IN THE CONVENTION AREA 33 A. REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR OCEANIC FISHERIES .............. 33 B. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL AND MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR OFFSHORE FISHERIES IN THE INDEPENDENT PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES ............................................................................................. 50 C. NON-GOVERNMENTAL BODIES INVOLVED IN OCEANIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ........................... 57 4. ASSESSMENT OF STATUS OF THE OCEANIC FISHERIES AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN THE CONVENTION AREA .................................................................................................................. 62 A. GENERAL BIOLOGY AND STOCK ASSESSMENT OF THE TUNA TARGET SPECIES .................................. 62 B. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN THE CONVENTION AREA ....................................................................... 96 C. SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING .................................................................................... 115 D. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT .................................................... 126 E. CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING .................................................................................................. 151 5. CONCLUSIONS FROM THE TRANSBOUNDARY DIGANOSTIC ANALYSIS AND POTENTIAL WAYS FORWARD FOR IMPROVING MANAGEMENT ............................................................................ 155 A. OUTSTANDING AREAS OF CONCERN ................................................................................................. 155 B. CAUSAL CHAIN ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 159 C. THE FUTURE FOR OCEANIC FISHERIES IN THE WCPF REGION – THE REGIONAL ROAD-MAP AND A STRATEGIC WAY FORWARD .................................................................................................................... 164 6. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 168 7. ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................ 174 4 A. LIST OF CURRENT CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT MEASURES AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMISSION ................................................................... 174 B. MOU BETWEEN WCPCF AND SPC ...................................................................................................... 176 C. MOU BETWEEN WCPFC AND FFA ...................................................................................................... 181 D. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL AND MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR OFFSHORE FISHERIES IN THE INDEPENDENT PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES ........................................................................................... 183