The Western Central Pacific Ocean Purse Seine Tuna Fishery

Where does your tuna come from?

Ocean of Harvest: Western Central Pacific Ocean, FAO Area 71 and 77

Country of Origin: PNA countries and High Seas

The Western Central Pacific Ocean Purse Seine tuna fishery is based in the waters of the 8 member countries of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA). PNA fisheries is one of the largest tuna fisheries with more than 60% of the tuna resources in the Western Central Pacific Ocean and 20% of the tuna resources in the world. It is also the first fishing location in the region to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fishery Certification.

Who caught your tuna?

Your tuna was caught by one of the Purse Seine vessels under the flags of the members of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) licensed to fish in the Economic Exclusive Zones (EEZs) of PNA countries and nearby High Seas. All vessels must comply with the Conservation Management Measures (CMM) enforced by the members of WCPFC and are registered on the regional vessel registry.

Sustainability

The fishery has multiple MSC Fishery Certifications, for example the PNA MSCWPSTA MSCPNG FIA MSC and Nauru MSC. The WPSTA is led by FCF Co., Ltd. and the Free School portion was certified since June, 2018. In September, 2021, the fishery has been certified on the Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) portion. Thus, all the fishing methods used in this Purse Seine fishery is now considered sustainable.