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Regional Reporting · Tuna · Final card under the Roadmap
Tuna Fishery Report Card 2025
The final Report Card under the 2015–2025 Regional Roadmap for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries. Reports trends across the decade against four Roadmap goals — sustainability, value, employment and food security — plus the Taskforce targets on increasing economic returns. With the Roadmap under review and the draft Roadmap 2.0 expected at RFMM7, this card synthesises ten years of progress for FFA Members.
Headline indicators across the Roadmap decade (2015 → 2024/25)
Activity-related measures rose substantially; government access & licence revenues remained relatively flat after the rapid 2009–2015 growth.
4/4
WCPO tuna stocks biologically healthy stable
61%
FFA fleets' share of catch value ↑ from 38% (2015)
26,176
Tuna-related jobs (2024) ↑ 19% vs 2015
US$1.2bn
Export value 2024 ↑ ~70% vs 2015
~286kmt
Tuna processed onshore 2024 ~2× since 2015
US$502m
Access & licence fees 2024 flat since 2017
10-year overview — what the decade delivered
Stock status held green. All four main WCPO tuna stocks (South Pacific albacore, bigeye, skipjack, yellowfin) are assessed as biologically healthy — not overfished, no overfishing occurring. A major decade achievement: Management Procedures (MPs) adopted for skipjack (WCPFC CMM 2025-03) and South Pacific albacore (CMM 2025-01), with bigeye MP scheduled for 2026.
Activity measures up sharply; revenue measures broadly flat. Since 2015 the share of catch value taken by FFA Members' fleets rose from 38% to 57% (2023) and 61% (2024). Exports to the four major markets surged ~70%. Onshore processing volume nearly doubled. Tuna-related employment grew 19%. Government access & licence revenues, by contrast, remained around US$500m — flat since 2017 — though the PNA Vessel Day Scheme has held the line on purse seine access values despite downward pressure.
What's next. With the Roadmap under review and draft Roadmap 2.0 expected to be endorsed at RFMM7 (Wellington, July 2026), this is the last Report Card under the current Roadmap. Looking forward, climate-driven shifts in tuna distribution are an emerging structural factor for access fees, examined under the GCF Regional Tuna Programme.
Sustainability — Goal 1
All four main WCPO tuna stocks — South Pacific albacore, bigeye, skipjack, yellowfin — are biologically healthy. Not overfished; overfishing is not occurring. The WCPO is one of only two ocean regions globally with all four stocks "in the green".
Skipjack MP adopted under WCPFC CMM 2025-03 — a milestone; first run 2023 recommended no change to catch/effort.
South Pacific albacore MP adopted under WCPFC CMM 2025-01; next run in 2026 will define catch levels for 2027–2029.
Yellowfin & bigeye: Both above stock-status objectives in CMM 2023-01; new assessments due 2026; bigeye MP scheduled by 2026.
Shark bycatch: Median longline bycatch of sharks declined continuously 2003–2023 — driven by reduced shallow-set effort, mandated non-retention and finning prohibition (CMM 2024-05).
Value — Goal 2
FFA Members' fleets took 61% of catch value in 2024 (up from 38% in 2015) — a record high. Onshore processing nearly doubled since 2015, reaching ~286,000mt in 2024. Government access & licence revenues at US$502m (+12% vs 2023), but broadly flat since 2017. The Taskforce 25% revenue target was not achieved, though PNA VDS resilience held access fee returns >20% of catch value.
Catch value (FFA fleets)
US$1.9bn (2024) — more than doubled vs 2015
Purse seine share
61% (US$1.6bn), record high
Longline share
62% of catch value in FFA waters
Employment — Goal 3
Tuna-related employment reached 26,176 in 2024 — up 19% over the Roadmap decade. Onshore processing accounts for 60–70% of all tuna jobs and is the main driver of growth. PNG leads processing employment (70% of regional total), followed by Solomon Islands (14%) and Fiji (11%).
Processing
15,621 jobs · PNG leads with 70%
Harvest
8,167 jobs (31% of total)
Labour standards
WCPFC CMM adopted at WCPFC21 (in force Jan 2028)
Food security — Goal 4
The Roadmap called for an additional 40,000mt of tuna for regional consumption over 10 years — difficult to assess against the baseline. Recent studies: ~22,000mt whole-tuna equivalent of canned tuna consumed across PNG, Solomon Islands and Fiji. ~29,000mt from local fleets entering local markets (2016). PICT-specific shares vary widely: 95% Cook Islands, 33% Samoa, 25% Tonga, 8% Palau. Policy options report (2022) and the GCF Regional Tuna Programme are advancing implementation support.
FFA & SPC have published the Tuna Fishery Report Card annually since 2015. Each edition tracks the four Roadmap goals — sustainability, value, employment and food security — for the WCPO tuna fisheries, alongside Taskforce-on-Increasing-Economic-Returns targets agreed by Forum Leaders.
Decade:
Latest · Final card under Roadmap
2025
Tuna Report Card 2025 — Final card under the 2015–2025 Roadmap
The decade-closing card. All 4 main WCPO tuna stocks biologically healthy. FFA fleets' share of catch value rose 38% → 61% over the Roadmap; tuna jobs +19% to 26,176; exports +70% to US$1.2bn. Government access & licence revenues broadly flat since 2017 (US$502m in 2024). MPs now adopted for skipjack (CMM 2025-03) and South Pacific albacore (CMM 2025-01); bigeye MP scheduled for 2026. With Roadmap 2.0 expected at RFMM7, this is the last card under the current Roadmap.
Skipjack MP runs for the first time; tropical-tuna measure revised
First implementation cycle of the skipjack Management Procedure under CMM 2022-01 — recommended no adjustment to catch or effort for 2024-2026. South Pacific albacore interim TRP adopted at WCPFC 2023. Tropical tuna measure (CMM 2023-01) revised. FFA Members' national-waters catch-value share reaches 57% in 2023 (up from 38% in 2015).
Skipjack TRP adopted under CMM 2022-01 — harvest strategy live
A target reference point for skipjack adopted as part of the agreed management procedure (WCPFC CMM 2022-01), which commences this year. Harvest strategy workplan now in place for all four key stocks. National-waters catch-value share at 54% in 2022 vs 39% in 2015; exports and onshore processing both up 50%+ since 2015; tuna employment +44%.
National-waters catch-value share rises to 56% (from 39% in 2015)
FFA Members' fleets take 56% of catch value in national waters (+46% since 2015). Exports to four major markets up 45%; onshore processing volumes up 50%+. Tuna employment +42% over 2015-2021. Government revenue from access & licensing relatively flat since 2015 after +300% growth between 2009-2015. Bycatch sharks: declining trend.
COVID-19 cuts longline catch -29%; albacore TRP being re-evaluated
All four main WCPO stocks remain biologically healthy. COVID and associated measures impacted longline fleets significantly in 2020 (-29% tuna catch, fresh-tuna exports down two-thirds). National-waters catch-value share up 39% over 2015-2020 (from 38% to 53%); exports +47%. Tuna employment +25% (4,850) over the period. Albacore TRP being re-evaluated after 2021 stock assessment.
Access fees +21%; Members' catch-value share +23% over four years
Over 2015-2019: government revenue from license & access fees +21%; FFA Members' catch-value share +23% across the WCPFC Convention Area (+29% in national waters); export value +53%. Tuna employment +4,600 over four years — below the Roadmap trajectory. Interim TRP only in place for albacore.
Interim TRPs agreed by WCPFC for skipjack and albacore
Interim Target Reference Points adopted by WCPFC for skipjack and South Pacific albacore (the albacore TRP agreed December 2018). All four main stocks remain in the "green" healthy area following positive 2017/2018 bigeye advice — though biomass continues to decline and management gaps need to be addressed.
All four stocks now in the green — bigeye reassessed
Following more positive scientific advice on the bigeye stock in 2017, all four major tuna stocks are now in the green "healthy" area for the first time. Skipjack TRP agreed by WCPFC; FFA Members agreed an albacore TRP internally pending wider WCPFC acceptance. Continuing need to strengthen management to maintain this positive stock status.
Taskforce on Increasing Economic Returns targets integrated
First edition to reflect the Taskforce on Increasing Economic Returns from Fisheries targets (agreed by Forum Leaders in 2016). South Pacific albacore not overfished but fishery faces serious economic challenges. Tokelau Arrangement parties making progress on effort-reduction measures to maintain economically viable catch rates.
Skipjack moves towards healthy zone; Taskforce launched
Encouragingly, skipjack tuna is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring, with stock state improving. First edition to take account of the Taskforce on Increasing Economic Returns from Fisheries — established by Forum Leaders to deliver real, measurable results within five years.
The original Report Card — bigeye overfished, PNA measures growing
The first edition, benchmarking the Regional Roadmap for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries (3-year timeframe for TRPs; 10-year for management measures). Bigeye tuna identified as overfished and overfishing occurring — PNA measures from 2008, subsequently adopted by WCPFC, had curtailed growth in overfishing but were yet to eliminate it.
