Samoa is looking to find a solution to counter the depleting albacore tuna catch rates in its waters as it is impacting its economy, said the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt.

He made the comments at the 20th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

La’auli said Samoa’s domestic tuna longline fleet was developed in the mid 1990‟s as the main foreign revenue earner for the economy.

“In recent years, our domestic fleet has struggled with the high cost of fishing in addition to the reduction of catch rates of the South Pacific albacore tuna. This situation has resulted in changes to the operations for our tuna fleets to mitigate against poor economic returns,” he said.

“As we address the challenges in the Southern albacore tuna fishery, Samoa remains committed to working collaboratively with other Commission members to find solutions.

“We appreciate the Commission's attention to this critical matter and look forward to working together for an agreeable way forward of our domestic tuna fishery.”

La’auli said Samoa was witnessing a decline in catch rates and vulnerable levels of spawning biomass. 

He said the decline of the South Pacific albacore tuna must not continue and the Commission was obligated to implement management measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of this resource. 

“Samoa is supportive and committed to all their efforts including that of the South Pacific group to improve the management of this key fishery through the harvest strategy approach and the implementation of zone-based management,” he said.

“Samoa commends the Scientific Science Provider, SPC, and the Forum Fisheries Agency, and others for their hard work on the South Pacific albacore tuna.”

"I respectfully requested all Commission members, and fishing partners interested in the South Pacific Albacore tuna, to urgently develop robust management arrangements for this resource."

He said enhancing data collection and the implementation of Electronic Reporting is of paramount importance to Samoa.

He said ensuring the effective integration of ER systems into Samoa's fishing vessels will enhance the accuracy and timeliness of data collection.

“This, in turn, will contribute significantly to the sustainable management of our shared fisheries in the Samoan EEZ and beyond,” he said.

“The commitment to improving ER aligns with Samoa's dedication to employing modern technologies for robust fisheries management. So, we look forward to collaborating with the Commission, to enhance our collective efforts in this area.”