Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission facts for kids
Logo of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
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| Abbreviation | WCPFC |
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| Formation | 19 June 2004 |
| Type | Regional fisheries management organisation |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Headquarters | Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia |
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Area served
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Western Pacific Ocean |
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Membership
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26 state members |
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Executive Director
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Rhea Moss-Christian |
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is a special group that helps protect tuna and other big fish in the western and central parts of the Pacific Ocean. Its full name is the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This group works to make sure these fish populations stay healthy for the future. It started its work in late 2005. Its main office is in Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The WCPFC was created by an international treaty called the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPF Convention). This agreement became official on June 19, 2004. It is an important agreement for managing fisheries in the region.
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How the WCPFC Works
The WCPF Convention is based on a 1995 U.N. agreement about fish stocks. It was designed for the unique features of the western and central Pacific Ocean. The Convention helps fishing groups follow its rules. Countries and territories can join the Commission's work. The WCPFC also works with other fishing groups in nearby areas.
Working with the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission is very important. This is because their areas overlap, and some fish, like Bigeye tuna, travel across both regions. The WCPFC also shares areas with the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and the North Pacific Fisheries Commission. However, these groups manage different types of fish.
The WCPFC has a main office, called the Secretariat. This office keeps track of fishing boats allowed to catch tuna in the WCPFC area. It also manages a system to monitor vessels. The Secretariat helps set up observer programs to watch fishing activities. It also organizes meetings for the Commission. Scientists from the Pacific Community (SPC) provide important advice to the WCPFC. The Northern Committee, a part of WCPFC, also gets scientific advice from another group called ISC.
In March 2023, the United States Navy and Coast Guard started patrols. These patrols help make sure the fishing rules are followed in the area.
How the WCPFC is Managed
The Commission is the main governing body of the WCPFC. It includes representatives from member countries, cooperating non-members, and participating territories. These are all called CCMs. The Commission holds yearly meetings, usually in late November or early December. A Chair and Vice-Chair lead these meetings. They are chosen from the member countries. The 19th meeting was held in November 2022 in Da Nang, Vietnam. Decisions are usually made by everyone agreeing. However, there is also a special voting system. Countries from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) form one voting group.
The Commission does much of its work through three main groups:
- The Scientific Committee (SC) meets in early August. It provides scientific advice.
- The Northern Committee (NC) meets in early September.
- The Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) meets in late September. This group checks if rules are being followed.
- A fourth group, the Finance and Administrative Committee (FAC), sets the Commission's budget.
The current Chair of the Commission is Dr. Josie Tamate. She was the Director-General of Natural Resources for Niue. She is the first Polynesian person to lead the WCPFC. She took over from Jung-re Riley Kim of South Korea. Other past chairs include Rhea Moss-Christian from the Marshall Islands, who was the first female chair.
The Commission has a permanent main office led by an Executive Director. This person is in charge of carrying out the Commission's plans. The office is in Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. The building for the office was funded by the Chinese government.
In December 2022, at the 19th meeting in Vietnam, Rhea Moss-Christian was chosen as the Executive Director. She took over from Feleti Teo of Tuvalu. Ms. Moss-Christian was also the first woman to be the Chair of the WCPFC from 2014 to 2018.
Trust Fund for Support
In 2023, Taiwan promised to give two million US dollars to the WCPFC's special fund. This fund helps support the Commission's work.
Who are the Members?
Countries that helped create the 2004 Convention can become members. Other countries or groups that want to fish for highly migratory fish in the western and central Pacific can also join. The existing members must agree for new ones to join. This means that current members decide who can become a part of the group.
| Commission Members | Participating Territories | Cooperating Non-Members |
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 Australia |
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 Bahamas |
 Canada |
 French Polynesia |
 Curaçao |
 China |
 Guam |
 Ecuador |
 Cook Islands |
 New Caledonia |
 El Salvador |
 European Union |
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 Liberia |
 Federated States of Micronesia |
 Tokelau |
 Panama |
 Fiji |
 Wallis and Futuna |
 Thailand |
| France |
 Vietnam |
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 Indonesia |
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 Japan |
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 Kiribati |
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 Marshall Islands |
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 Nauru |
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 New Zealand |
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 Niue |
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 Palau |
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 Papua New Guinea |
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 Philippines |
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 Samoa |
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 Solomon Islands |
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 South Korea |
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 Taiwan (as  Chinese Taipei) |
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 Tonga |
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 Tuvalu |
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 United States |
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 Vanuatu |
Observers
Some groups and countries are observers. This means they can watch the meetings but do not vote.
How Well Does the Commission Perform?
A group called ISSF (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation) regularly checks on the fish populations. They summarize how well the WCPFC is doing in managing these fish stocks.
Related Organizations
- North Pacific Fisheries Commission
- Pacific Community
- Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency
- Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
