Western & Central Pacific Ocean

As of 2019, 19 WCPO countries are employing some combination of EM/ER for tuna purse seine and/or longline vessels. Those countries are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. For an excellent overview of EMR activities (including the technologies being employed, coordinating bodies, data-flows, training regimes, standards, etc.) please see Malo Hosken’s WCPO Region EM & ER Overview August 2019.

U.S. Pacific Islands

Pilot testing of EM systems in the Hawaii longline fleet began in 2010. Since 2017, NOAA has active EM systems aboard 17 volunteer tuna and swordfish Hawaii longline vessels. In 2019 the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation awarded funds to industry to install an additional 5 systems on Hawaii longline vessels. The National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) is researching EM applications including tracking bigeye quotas and limits on sea turtle interactions. Electronic reporting is also being implemented in the Hawaii longline fishery, with around 50 vessels (out of 145) providing daily at-sea ER to NMFS.

Have updated information about this region? Please let us know.