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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 document analyzes a spectrum of decision-making models in international law, ranging from strict consensus to majority voting, to identify effective procedures for managing highly migratory fish stocks in the Western and Central Pacific.