2ND WTPO INTERIM EVALUATION MEETING INTRODUCTION
2ND WTPO INTERIM EVALUATION MEETING INTRODUCTION
The 2nd World Tuna Purse Seine Organization (WTPO) Interim Evaluation Conference, chaired by Mr. Julio Moron Ayala, WTPO Executive Secretary, was held by Taiwan Tuna Association in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on June 17-18, 2002. Approximately 50 participants have attended this meeting, including purse seine operators from Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Philippines as well as tuna packers, tuna traders and non-WTPO purse seine operators from Thailand and Philippines. Mr. Dah-Wen Shieh, Deputy Administrator of Fishery Administration of Taiwan, was invited to open the meeting. The related domestic fishery agencies such as the Fishery Administration and Overseas Fishery Development Council (OFDC) have also participated in the meeting as observers.
During the two-day meeting of purse seine operators and the meeting of purse seine operators, tuna packers and tuna fish traders, participants discussed issues regarding to how to conserve world tuna resources and to stabilize the tuna market by providing a reasonable fish price, and how to expand and stabilize world tuna market as well as improve the quality of frozen and fresh tuna products The results of the meetings are as follows:
2nd WTPO INTERIM EVALUATION MEETING RESOLUTION
Whereas WTPO members are committed to preserve World Tuna resources and to ensure a stable supply to the Tuna Market in a sustainable way,
Whereas there is a need to involve other purse seine operators so as not to jeopardize the WTPO efforts to achieve its objective for a stable market situation,
Participants in the 2nd WTPO Interim Evaluation Meeting listed below agreed to take the following actions- To limit the number of purse seine boats operated in the Western and Central Pacific Region, through the existing tuna management agreement (Palau Agreement) in cooperation with the Forum Fishery Agency (FFA)
- To attract more membership to WTPO through cooperation with tuna traders and processors.
- To implement a continuing reduction in fishcatch reduction effort by extending the time at the port for every vessel to ten days, every time they call to unload, when the average price of skipjack among Asian members goes below the acceptable level. To review this reduction effort every month that provided all decisions on the agreed reduction shall at least be effective at least for tow months.
2nd WTPO INTERIM EVALUATION MEETING DECLARATION
WTPO members meeting with Tuna Fish Traders and Tuna Packers from Thailand and Philippines through:- Expressing their common concerns for the preservation of the tuna fish resources
- Seeking for the stabilization of the world tuna market
- Looking for the improvement of the quality of frozen tuna and tuna products Agreed to undertake the following measures:
- To create a joint technical and quality improvement committee to analyze and establish tuna fish quality specification of tuna fish delivery to the packers
- To exchange validated information and statistic about tuna catch, tuna production and tuna consumption on a global basis
- To maintain consultations in order to continually analyze world tuna market situation
- Tuna Fish Traders, Philippine Packers and Thailand Packers will give preferential treatment to boat owners that will comply to the tuna fish quality specification that will be jointly established.
