Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific

The southern longline tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific is characterized by economic overfishing, where healthy tuna stocks are offset by an excessive number of vessels, leading to declining catch sizes per unit of effort. Many distant water fishing nations' vessels appear subsidized, as catch revenues may not cover operating costs. The document suggests that WTO subsidy prohibitions could reduce fishing effort, which might initially disrupt domestic processing in Pacific Island countries but could ultimately improve the fishery's economic situation and allow these nations to develop their own domestic tuna industries.

• The southern longline tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific experiences economic overfishing; while albacore, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna stocks remain healthy, the high volume of operating vessels has caused the amount of fish caught per unit of fishing effort to decline.
• Subsidies appear to support several fleets in the fishery, particularly those from distant water fishing nations whose catch revenues may not cover their operating costs. A prohibition on such subsidies could reduce the number of these vessels and the overall fishing effort.
• While the removal of subsidized vessels might negatively impact domestic processing in Pacific Island countries in the short term, a reduction in fishing effort could improve the fishery's overall economic state and create opportunities for these islands to grow their domestic tuna industries.

APA

Cartwright,, S. S. (2019). Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/fisheries-subsidies-southern-longline-tuna-pacific

Chicago

Cartwright,, Sevaly Sen,Ian. Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/publications/fisheries-subsidies-southern-longline-tuna-pacific.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cartwright, |first1=Sevaly Sen,Ian |title=Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=24 December 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/fisheries-subsidies-southern-longline-tuna-pacific |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cartwright2019exploring, author = {Cartwright,, Sevaly Sen,Ian}, title = {{Exploring the Possible Impacts of WTO Rules on Fisheries Subsidies: The Case of the Southern Longline Tuna Fishery in the Western and Central Pacific}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/fisheries-subsidies-southern-longline-tuna-pacific}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }