Abstract

The management of tropical tuna fisheries is complicated by the highly migratory nature of the fish stocks, by the nature of the fisheries exploiting them, and by the effects of climate- driven variability in the location and productivity of the stocks. In addition to the management problems intr... Show moreThe management of tropical tuna fisheries is complicated by the highly migratory nature of the fish stocks, by the nature of the fisheries exploiting them, and by the effects of climate- driven variability in the location and productivity of the stocks. In addition to the management problems introduced by stock migrations across EEZ boundaries and into the high seas, particular challenges are presented by the fact that there are two distinct types of players who seek to derive benefits from these resources. Much of the harvesting is carried out by industrial fleets owned by citizens of distant-water fishing nations (DWFNs) who harvest tuna in the waters of a number of small-island and coastal nations, as well as on the high seas. Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) have been established to control harvesting pressure and promote a fair division of fishery benefits in these fisheries. The outcomes of the policies pursued by these RFMOs will depend on the interactions among the fleets, the fishing sites, and the RFMO itself - an interplay that can be formally modeled as a multi-party harvesting and management game. This chapter describes such a model, and uses it to explore the consequences of alternative policies for:a) the total returns to the fishery; b) the condition of the fish stocks; and c) the division of benefits between the fleets and the sites. Model results suggest that policy consequences will vary considerably depending on the design of the policy and the biological and physical details of the situation. In particular, climate-related shifts in the distribution of the stocks between EEZs and the high seas can affect the biological and economic consequences of the RFMO policy choices. The implications of these results are discussed in light of current RFMO policy processes in the Western and Central Pacific. Show less