System/Tool | Brief Description/Purpose | References | 2025 Updates |
|---|---|---|---|
Compliance Monitoring Scheme (CMS) (hosted in WCPFC Monitoring and Evaluation, incorporating CMMs site and the Compliance Case File System site) | To ensure that Members, Cooperating Non-Members and Participating Territories (CCMs) implement and comply with obligations arising under the Convention and conservation and management measures (CMMs) adopted by the Commission.
The purpose of the CMS is also to assess flag CCM action in relation to alleged violations by its vessels, not to assess compliance by individual vessels. |
CMS webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/compliance-monitoring WCPFC Reporting Deadlines: https://www.wcpfc.int/calendar/all / | The Monitoring and Evaluation site has been further enhanced with an upgraded Compliance Monitoring Report (CMR) online facility, which is fully integrated with Annual Report Part 2 and information about quantitative limits. This facility was used by the Secretariat to prepare the draft CMR, enabled CCMs to review and submit responses to potential CMR issues, and will also be used for the TCC assessment process. The Monitoring and Evaluation site has also been further enhanced to support the Secretariat loading and managing updates from CCMs on RBAF Consequence scores for obligations. Continual enhancements released to improve the previous year CMR issues online interface, and to support the TCC assessment process of Capacity Assistance Needed and Implementation Gaps. Continual enhancements were also released to improve the information displays in the Annual Reporting dashboard and CCFS Annual Summary Dashboard. Update on implementation of subsampling methodology for CCFS cases and aggregate tables (TCC21 Working Paper 09) |
Record of Fishing Vessels (RFV) (hosted in WCPFC Vessels site)
| Combined list of all the details that each Member and Cooperating Non-Member has provided to the WCPFC Secretariat of its vessels that are authorized to fish beyond its national jurisdiction within the Convention Area. |
| Continual enhancements to the Vessels Online system for CCMs have improved usability and data quality through several key updates. These include streamlined charter record management, a new dashboard tools highlighting missing data fields (such as IMO numbers, owner details, and authorisation data), and automated notifications to the Secretariat when annual "fished/did not fish" reports are submitted. Additionally, search functionality has been upgraded to include previous vessel names, helping to reduce data duplication and improve information retrieval.
The WCPFC RFV vessel and authorization data are integrated into an IMCS Network online tool (CRAVT), which presents vessel authorization data alongside information from other RFMOs and RFBs. |
| Pacific Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) | Cost-effectively monitor the activities of fishing vessels authorized by flag States to fish for highly migratory fish species in the Convention Area in areas beyond jurisdiction of the Flag State. |
| Prototype Analytical Tool developed in 2023, used routinely to support Secretariat verification and monitoring of VMS Reporting and other reporting e.g. transhipments. Commencement of Secretariat providing monthly VMS transmission gaps reports to each flag CCM planned for late 2025. Daily email sent to users with VMS Editor access listing vessels that have stopped reporting based on VRST data. Direct upload feature provided for CCM submissions of VMS Manual position reports (in NAF format) WCPFC single-sign-on continued to be applied to all WCPFC VMS systems, including WCPFC Trackwell VMS Routine update of VMS SOPs to reflect continual improvements made to relevant WCPFC online systems provided in TCC21 Working Paper 20 Continual enhancements for ease of use for monitoring of annual reporting of audit inspection reports, and facility created to support bulk uploads of MTU audit reporting. |
High Seas Boarding and Inspection (HSBI)
(hosted in WCPFC Inspections site) | Boarding and inspection and related activities conducted pursuant to procedures adopted in the CMM, for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Convention and conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission and in force; applicable only on the high seas within the Convention Area. |
HSBI webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/high-seas-boarding-inspection
HSBI WG webpage: | The new Inspections System has been completed (Circulars 2025/16 and 2025/39). It enables direct notification and uploading of supporting information related to HSBI events and facilitates the creation of Article (25)2 cases where potential infringements are identified. CCMs can view HSBI reports and related compliance cases for their flagged vessels or associated HSBI events. Secretariat will continue to provide support to planned HSBI trainings, to provide information on Commission processes and systems. HSBI WG is progressing work to develop voluntary regional guides for the use of tools in conducting high seas boarding and inspections, and an update will be provided in TCC21 Working Paper 24. |
Transhipment Regulation Scheme
(high seas transhipment reporting hosted in WCPFC TSER Reports site) | Management of all transhipment in the Convention Area of all highly migratory fish stocks covered by the Convention.
Does not apply to transhipment of highly migratory fish stocks where fish is taken and transhipped wholly in archipelagic waters or territorial seas.
Transhipment in a port or in waters under the national jurisdiction of a CCM shall take place in accordance with applicable national law. |
Transhipment Regulation Scheme webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/transhipment-regulation | Continued Implementation of Minimum Data Fields for Observer Transhipment Monitoring The Prototype Analytical Tool developed in 2023, is now routinely used to support Secretariat verification and monitoring of transhipment monitoring. Since late 2024, the Secretariat has been providing quarterly high seas transhipment gaps reports to each flag CCM. The inclusion of verification and monitoring of high seas transhipment events, using VMS data and other sources, in the quarterly gap reports is planned to commence in late 2025. In August 2025, the Secretariat established workflows to provide monthly reports to relevant coastal CCMs providing information about high seas transhipment events where the high seas transhipment reporting indicates that the transhipped catches were taken within their EEZ. Work is planned for late 2025 to streamline and automate access of these reports to coastal CCMs through the WCPFC TSER reports site. TCC21 Working Paper 18 provides an update on Commission task to the Secretariat to progress data exchange arrangements with RFMOs (IATTC, IOTC, CCSBT, SPRFMO and NPFC) over 2025, noting the need for reciprocity in data exchange, and provide an update on progress to TCC21 and WCPFC22. (ref: TCC20 Outcomes, paragraph 62)
The TCC Workplan 2025 – 2027 confirms that commencing in 2025, TCC will continue the work required to strengthen the transhipment measure, using TCC20 Delegation Paper 7 (RMI) as a reference. |
| Port State Minimum (PSM) Standards | To establish processes and procedures for CCMs to request that port inspections be undertaken on fishing vessels suspected of engaging in IUU fishing or fishing related activities in support of IUU fishing. |
PSM Standards webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/wcpfc-port-state-minimum-standards
PSMWG webpage: | As of 18 August 2025, the number of Parties to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement comprises 18 Members and 6 Cooperating Non-Members. Continuing to receive FAO port State inspection notifications from the Global Information Exchange System (GIES) and CCMs PSMWG is progressing work to review CMM 2017-02, and an update will be provided in TCC Working Paper 19. Development of an online facility to support Port State related documentation and notifications was deferred to allow due consideration of the outcomes of the PSMWG review of CMM 2017-02. |
| Regional Observer Programme (ROP) | To collect verified catch data, other scientific data, and additional information related to the fishery from the Convention Area and to monitor the implementation of the Conservation and Management Measures adopted by the Commission. |
ROP webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/regional-observer-programme ROP-IWG webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/iwg-rop
| ROP-IWG is progressing work to advance discussions on improving observer data collection, streamlining the WCPFC Minimum Standard Data Fields (MSDFs), and refining the use of observer data in the Compliance Case File System (CCFS). SC21 received an update and the update for TCC is in TCC Working Paper 17. Streamlined and enhanced ROP Annual Report to TCC produced using an automated and reproducible process (TCC21 Required Report 2) Information about observer coverage compared to longline fishing effort may be found in TCC-related SC21 paper: SC21-EB-IP17. Information about the challenges to obtain reliable estimates of WCPO longline catches from observer data may be found in TCC-related SC21 paper: SC21-ST-WG09 |
| Electronic Monitoring | Electronic Monitoring (EM) in the fisheries context refers to the use of technology, such as onboard cameras, sensors, and GPS systems, to automatically record and collect information about fishing activities at sea. This technology can capture data on gear deployment, catch composition, bycatch, and compliance with fishing rules, even when human observers are not present. As a starting point for EM in the WCPFC, there has been clear direction from the Commission and its subsidiary bodies that increased data collection, monitoring and verification is required for longline fishing, in particular longline fishing that occurs on the high seas. Further, that any use of EM would be in addition to current observer requirements |
ER&EM WG webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/ERandEM-IWG | ER&EM WG is continuing work to progress development of EM standards. Update from Interim ER&EM WG Chair is in TCC Working Paper 21 |
| Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) List | List of vessels which have engaged in fishing activities for species covered by the Convention within the Convention Area in a manner which has undermined the effectiveness of the WCPF Convention and the WCPFC measures in force. |
WCPFC IUU Vessel List webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/wcpfc-iuu-vessel-list | Working Paper 06 presents the draft IUU Vessel List and current WCPFC IUU Vessel List. The Secretariat Compliance team continues to liaise, through TCN and PPFCN, to share updates on RFMO IUU Vessel Lists with other tuna RFMOs and pan-Pacific RFBs. An online tool is currently being developed by IMCS Network to streamline the sharing of updated information between RFMO and RFB Secretariats regarding IUU Vessel List updates. |
| Data Access Rules and Procedures | Rules and procedures to govern protection, access to, and dissemination of data for various purposes. |
Data Access Rule webpage: https://www.wcpfc.int/administration-wcpfc-data-access-rules-and-procedures | Development of an online facility to support Data Access Requests was deferred to prioritize higher-value initiatives, including the new CMR system and the redevelopment of the WCPFC website. SC21 implemented the updated SC Project Proposal template to include notes on necessary WCPFC data access. Update on the status of the WCPFC’s Information and Network Security Framework and provide advice and recommendations related to relevant workplan and resourcing requirements to facilitate the work of the Secretariat in TCC21 Working Paper 26 |
| Other Reporting Obligations | Required reporting through CMMs or other Commission decisions |
5. Bigeye longline catch reporting
6. South Pacific Albacore CMM reporting
7. North Pacific Albacore reporting
8. North Pacific Swordfish CMM reporting
9. Pacific Bluefin CMM reporting
10. Shark CMM
11. Capacity Assistance Requests and Capacity Development Plans
12. Crew Labour Standards CMM Reporting
| Development of an online facility to support Cooperating Non-Member Requests was deferred to prioritize higher-value initiatives, including the new CMR system and the redevelopment of the WCPFC website. Updated template for Cooperating-Non-Member requests was used by all CNM applicants in 2025 (TCC Working Paper 5 presents the CNM requests for 2026). Prototypes of an Analytical Tool developed in 2023 continued to be used to support Secretariat verification and monitoring of Eastern High Seas Pocket Special Management Area and High Seas Pocket Special Management Area Developed streamlined and enhanced paper on other high seas pockets (TCC21 Required Report 6_supplement) In late 2025, work will also be completed to develop a streamlined and enhanced paper on the overlap area between IATTC and WCPFC. The FAD-MO IWG’s 2024-2026 workplan placed priority on the following tasks for 2025:
Update from FAD-MO-IWG Chair is in TCC Working Paper 16 The TCC Workplan 2025-2027 indicates that TCC21 will discuss the approach to review of the Commission implementation of CMM 2013-06. |
Snapshot of Commission Monitoring and Data Collection Tools
Page updated: 11 Aug 2026