Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, 29 June 2026. The Twenty-Sixth Plenary Meeting of the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC26) was held in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei, from 23–29 June 2026. The WCPFC Secretariat participated as an observer, providing an important opportunity to stay informed of scientific developments relevant to the Commission and strengthen coordination with the ISC and its members.
A key outcome of ISC26 was the completion of benchmark stock assessments for North Pacific albacore and Pacific blue marlin. Both stocks were assessed as virtually certain to be neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing relative to their respective reference points, providing important scientific information to support ongoing management.
The meeting also highlighted continued progress on harvest strategies and Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE). For Pacific bluefin tuna, work is advancing on the transition from rebuilding to longer-term management, including consideration of candidate harvest control rules and an Exceptional Circumstances Protocol. The ISC also continued developing an MSE for Western and Central North Pacific swordfish and recommended that the Northern Committee consider postponing the next benchmark assessment from 2028 to 2029 to allow additional time for completion of the MSE and incorporation of new scientific information.
ISC26 further considered areas of collaboration of direct relevance to the WCPFC, including implementation of the Commission’s stock status and management advice reporting template, data-sharing arrangements, biological sampling, and the future review of the ISC–WCPFC Memorandum of Understanding.
The outcomes of ISC26 subsequently contributed to discussions at NC22 and SC22. Secretariat participation in ISC26 helped maintain close scientific and institutional coordination between the two organisations and supports the continued provision of robust scientific advice to the Commission.