Pacific bluefin tuna management agreement reached by IATTC and WCPFC

The Joint Working Group of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has reached an agreement to advance a long-term management procedure for Pacific bluefin tuna. The agreement, which requires formal adoption by both commissions to take effect, aims to manage the species through science-based decision-making.

Spawning biomass for the species has recovered significantly from a historic low of approximately 2 percent of its unfished level to an estimated 23.2 percent. The new management procedure includes a gradual increase in the eastern Pacific share, rising from 20 percent in 2027 and 2028 to 22 percent by 2031 and 2032.

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) noted that the agreement protects the economic interests of the recreational fishing sector by keeping it separate from commercial catch limits. While the agreement does not fully implement the 70:30 fishing opportunity split advocated by the United States and Mexico, it initiates a shift toward increased fishing opportunities in the eastern Pacific.