The threats
Increased demand for coastal fish species in the Pacific Islands fuels overfishing, which in turn threatens local food security, livelihoods and ecosystems. Climate change is compounding the problem by lowering harvests from coral reef fisheries. The warming ocean is also changing the distribution of tuna, threatening island economies.
Global warming is expected to progressively push tuna populations from the waters of 10 Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) into the high seas. This is a climate justice issue. The 10 Pacific SIDS have a deep economic dependence on tuna fishing but contribute little to global warming. They are expected to lose an average of 37 percent of government revenue as tuna shift from their waters. Limiting global warming is vital to stopping this climate injustice. For the Pacific SIDs, there must be negotiations around how they can maintain the benefits they receive from tuna as climate changes their habitat. Learn more at conservation.org/tuna
Our role
Conservation International is strengthening community-based management to conserve fish habitats and maintain healthy fish stocks. We are also helping communities meet increasing demands for coastal fish and adapt to climate change by supporting a shift
from catching primarily coral reef species to catching tuna.
We are also helping the Pacific Community and other Pacific Island fisheries agencies to better understand the effects of climate change on tuna. This knowledge will help identify
the adaptations needed to reduce the risks of tuna redistribution to national economies.
Our plan
Strengthening community-based management of coastal fisheries
To help conserve coastal fish habitats and stocks for Pacific Islanders, Conservation International is implementing a people-centered fishery improvement model. Our approach harnesses the capacity of local communities and incorporates recommended governance reforms.
Diversifying the use of tuna to improve food security and livelihoods
Together with the Pacific Community (SPC) and national governments, Conservation International is helping coastal communities catch more tuna by expanding the use of nearshore fish-aggregating devices (FADs) anchored close to the coast.
Achieving sustainable fisheries
Conservation International is helping to sustain tuna fisheries by assisting SPC to identify the spatial structure of stocks, and develop better models for the responses of tuna to climate change.
Adding value to tuna
Conservation International and partners are collaborating with the private sector to assist Pacific Island countries to increase the value of tuna and to create more jobs based on tuna fisheries. This includes exchanges of knowledge between Pacific Island fisheries agencies and Iceland, a global leader in sustainable fisheries development. It also includes development of the Pacific Islands Ocean Cluster to foster start-ups in fish product innovation.
Our tuna initiative
Economic benefits of tuna fishing for Pacific Island countries
Our Tuna Initiative was designed to assist national and regional fisheries agencies implement the sustainability, value, employment and food security goals outlined in the Regional Roadmap for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries.
This map shows the total catches of tuna in the exclusive economic zones of Pacific Island countries (5-year averages 2013-2017) and the contributions of tuna fishing license fees to government revenue in 2016.
Key partners
Our work on climate change and tuna in the Pacific Island region is designed to support tuna science and management by the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA). We also work closely with the University of Wollongong.
Publications
Pathways to sustaining tuna-dependent Pacific Island economies during climate change
Climate change, tropical fisheries and prospects for sustainable development
Conservation International's Tuna Initiative
POLICY BRIEF: Implications of climate-driven redistribution of tuna for Pacific Island economies
Optimising the use of nearshore fish aggregating devices for food security in the Pacific Islands
Defining the stock structures of key commercial tunas in the Pacific Ocean I: Current knowledge and main uncertainties
Tunas are the focus of significant fisheries in the Pacific Ocean, where landings of four species – skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and albacore tuna – constitute approximately 70 % of the global tuna catch.
Defining the stock structures of key commercial tunas in the Pacific Ocean II: Sampling considerations and future directions
Delineating the stock structure of highly-mobile, wide-ranging fishes subject to exploitation is a challenging task, yet one that is fundamental to optimal fisheries management.
Good governance for migratory fish stocks
CREDIT: https://atlasofscience.org/good-governance-for-migratory-fish-stocks/
Reducing mortality of bigeye tuna during purse-seine fishing: A research agenda
Operationalising access to oceanic fisheries resources by small-scale fishers to improve food security in the Pacific Islands
Adaptations to maintain the contributions of small-scale fisheries to food security in the Pacific Islands
Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being
Managing consequences of climate-driven species redistribution requires integration of ecology, conservation and social science
Diversifying the use of tuna to improve food security and public health in Pacific Island countries and territories
Fish, food security and health in Pacific Island countries and territories: a systematic literature review
How can climate predictions improve sustainability of coastal fisheries in Pacific Small-Island Developing States?
Explaining Ocean Warming: Causes, scale, effects and consequences
Realising the food security benefits of canned fish for Pacific Island countries
A new climate change vulnerability assessment for fisheries and aquaculture
Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture
Good governance for migratory species