New Zealand is being called on to help monitor tuna poachers in the Pacific Ocean after a new report revealed illegal fishing boats are no longer the biggest problem, but licensed vessels breaking the rules because they're poorly monitored.
The international study estimates US$616 million worth of tuna is taken illegally out of Pacific waters every year.
“No more than four per cent of fishing may be occurring illegally by pirate boats. So we know now that most of the problem is of unreported and unregulated activities of licensed boats,” said James Movick, Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency director general.
It's the first time the extent of tuna poaching in the Pacific has been valued and the report finds better monitoring is desperately needed.
“We certainly can use more electronic monitoring than we do now - so cameras onboard vessels monitoring activity,” said report author Duncan Souter.
Movick wants New Zealand to do "a lot more background checking and deployment of observers - the new work that is required for us to get a better handle on unreported activities".
The region's experts are currently meeting to discuss the study and look at how they can save their fisheries.
“The fight against illegal fishing is one that we cannot afford to lose, said Pita Elisala, Tuvalu Minister of Natural Resources.
The 300 million tonnes of tuna taken illegally in the Pacific each year is a goldmine for small island countries which don't have a lot.
“This is their principal economic resource, so it is important that we try to maximise the revenues we gain from fishing access,” Movick said.