Nauru Agreement

Other recent actions by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement include a prohibition on setting purse-seine nets around whale sharks, a ban on fishing near fish aggregation devices during the months of July, August and September (with an option to extend this for up to an additional three months if scientific advice suggests that tuna stocks would benefit), a requirement for 100% observer coverage aboard purse-seiners, a minimum mesh-size, and a requirement for retention of all catch of tuna on board (no discards).

The full range of fishery management instruments[6] implemented by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement includes: These PNA-specific measures are also supplemented by the Harmonized Minimum Terms and Conditions for Access to FFA member EEZs by Foreign Fishing Vessels, agreed by all FFA member countries including the Parties to the Nauru Agreement.

[7] gave their commitment to implement even stronger management measures in their joint EEZs order to maintain sustainable tuna fisheries and minimise impact on bycatch species[8] The new commitments include: At the May 2012 meeting in Alotau, Papua New Guinea, the Fisheries Ministers also approved a PNA Office Business Plan, and welcomed Tokelau as a party to the Palau Arrangement Purse-Seine Vessel Days Management Scheme.

[13] This means that products made from skipjack tuna caught from free schools (without setting near Fish Aggregation Devices or other floating objects) by PNA-licensed and product-chain-certified purse-seiners will be eligible for the MSC label.

[16] According to the Environmental Justice Foundation, PNA earned the award for "seeing the need to manage the Western and Central Pacific tuna fishery for the long term and quickly taking effective action".