The WPCFC Scientific Committee (SC) held its 13th regular session meeting from 9 - 17 August 2017 in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
Among the participants attending the meeting were representative from the Pacific islands countries and territories in the fisheries sector, fisheries scientists, and regional and international fisheries organization like the FFA, PNA, WWF and the Distance Fishing Nations who are members of the WPCFC.
At the opening of the meeting, the Finance Minister, Hon. Mark Brown on behalf of the Hon. Prime Minister, Henry Puna and the Minister for the Marine Resources, mentioned that annually billions of dollars of international trade, revenue and economy will be affected. At stake are thousands if not millions of peoples for whom their livelihoods and subsistence are intertwined. Each of us has an opportunity to contribute in our own way in this business. The necessary interplay of scientific advice will help sustain us in protecting our tuna fisheries for generations to come and the future.
The meeting considered and discussed key scientific issues critical on status of fisheries, stock assessments, data and statistics, harvest strategies, ecosystems and by-catch mitigation and future research priorities management issues.
The positive outcomes from the meeting will be to strengthen the management of tuna in the region.
The report and recommendation of this meeting will be taken up to the Tuna Commission meeting which will be held towards the end of the year in Manila, Philippines
The Solomon Islands was also represented at this scientific meeting by the Ministry of Fisheries and Resources and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.