Public-Private Partnership in Papua New Guinea (PNG) Promotes Sustainable Tuna Fisheries and Reduces Risks to Threatened Species

A fishing company in Papua New Guinea has committed to promoting an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and reducing risks to threatened species, thereby supporting the goals of the CTI-CFF. On November 30, 2011, Fair Well Investment Limited, a longline tuna fishing company based in Port Moresby, signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the PNG National Fisheries Authority and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to initiate a trial use of circle hooks in its longline tuna fleet.

The agreement provides an example of the fishing industry taking an active role in supplying more discerning foreign markets with responsibly caught tuna by employing sustainable fishing practices, such as the use of circle hooks. Circle hooks have proven effective in reducing sea turtle bycatch and injury. Their use aligns with growing global demand for tuna caught in ways that do not harm non-target species and do not exceed the capacity of tuna stocks to replenish naturally.

Funding from the Netherlands and an Australian supermarket chain will support the experiment by providing the circle hooks, technical support, and assistance with data collection and analysis. Fair Well Investment has pledged to provide two fishing vessels, crew, and the use of circle hooks for the trial.

Source: WWF CTNI Newsletter