The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention (WCPFC) is an international fisheries agreement that seeks to ensure, through effective management, the long-term conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory fish stocks (i.e. tunas, billfish, marlin) in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Conservation and management measures that are developed under the terms of the Convention apply to these stocks throughout their range, or to specific areas within the Convention Area.
The Commission has adopted a number of measures to protect the unintentional catch, or bycatch, of marine mammals and other non-target species. Sea turtles, sharks, seabirds and some fish species other than tuna are often the unintended casualties of commercial fishing operations. In addition, the WCPFC collects data on bycatch and non-target species that are encountered during fishing activities, to ensure that existing measures are effective, as well as to identify gaps where additional measures may be necessary.
Links within the WCPFC website:
