Parties to the Nauru Agreement

The community's director general, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, said the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, or PNA, and the Forum Fisheries Agency are increasing returns to their member states.

The PNA controls the world's largest, sustainable tuna purse seine fishery which is valued at US$6 billion annually.

Dr Tukuitonga says it returned $US60 million to the region in 2010 which increased to US$500 million in 2017.

The PNA is made up of eight countries, plus Tokelau, and controls much of the Pacific's tuna resources.

It has taken an aggressive approach and in seven years increased revenue eight fold.

The PNA intends maintaining this drive but the chief executive Ludwig Kumoru says they also wanted to improve links with organisations like the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Pacific Forum Fisheries agency.

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You can share this through the PNA WORLD TUNA DAY ART AND TALENT QUEST.

Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) controls the world's largest sustainable tuna purse seine fishery with members including the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

The PNA WORLD TUNA DAY ART AND TALENT QUEST is in line with the celebration of the World Tuna Day which falls on May 2.

Transform Aqorau says the highlight of the meeting was coming away with agreement on target reference points which is a tuna management strategy that incorporates biological, ecological, social, and economic considerations.

But Dr Aqorau says the meeting was not without its disappointments and hit back at critics who say the PNA is making the Pacific fishery too expensive for some boats to operate in.

Transform Aqorau's comments comes after Pacific leaders called for a review of the PNA's Vessel Day Scheme and promoted a New Zealand style quota management system instead.

Speaking to industry stakeholders at the 5th Pacific Tuna Forum in Fiji this week, Dr Aqorau says his body is already considering a catch based management system, but is moving cautiously.

This comes after scathing criticism from the PNA chief executive after the Pacific Island Forum leaders decision to look into the merits of replacing the PNA's Vessel Day Scheme with a New Zealand style quota management system.

New Zealand's Shane Jones says regional leaders want a year given to look into the future of tuna fisheries management in the Pacific and he says the PNA should heed their wishes.