Non-target Species Interactions with the Tuna Fisheries of the Western and Central Pacific Oceans

The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) tuna fisheries are amongst the largest, most complex and valuable fisheries resources in the world. In 2008, the most recent year with confirmed statistics, the annual catch exceeded 2.4 million tonnes (Williams and Terawasi, 2009), comprised over 50% of the total global tuna catch and was valued at over USD 5 billion dollars. Although albacore, bigeye, skipjack and yellowfin tunas have dominated annual catches from the WCPO, the fisheries also interact with non-tuna taxa, such as billfishes and sharks, which are important components of the retained catches and a range of other species with no commercial value (e.g. turtles, birds).
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is the Regional Fisheries Management Organisation for the tuna fishery with responsibilities for not just managing the catch of target species but also non-target species. Estimates of the catch of non-target species have been provided regularly to the WCPFC since 2005 (Molony 2005, SPC 2006, 2007, 2008). This report syntheses the current information on the interaction of WCPO tuna fisheries with non-target species to assist with informing discussion within the Ecosystem and Bycatch Specialist Working Group at the 2010 regular meeting of the WCPFC Scientific Committee.