Who We Are

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) is an international organization dedicated to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory fish stocks across the western and central Pacific Ocean. 

WCPFC's Headquarters are in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

Our diverse membership reflects the shared responsibility for managing fisheries that cross international boundaries.

Together, we work to ensure that the Pacific's rich marine resources remain abundant for coastal communities whose livelihoods and food security depend on healthy oceans, while also supporting responsible commercial fishing operations that provide seafood to global markets.

CCMs

For practical purposes WCPFC has adopted the term "CCM" to refer to parties of three types:

• Members
• Participating Territories
• Cooperating Non-Members 

Members

The WCPFC has 26 members, consisting of 25 countries and one fishing entity*.
 

1. Australia
2. China
3. Canada
4. Cook Islands
5. European Union
6. Federated States of Micronesia
7. Fiji
8. France
9. Indonesia
10. Japan
11. Kiribati
12. Republic of Korea
13. Republic of Marshall Islands
14. Nauru
15. New Zealand
16. Niue
17. Palau
18. Papua New Guinea
19. Philippines
20. Samoa
21. Solomon Islands
22. *Chinese Taipei
23. Tonga
24. Tuvalu
25. United States of America
26. Vanuatu

These members have signed and ratified the WCPFC Convention, giving them key decision making responsibilities relating to fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

Membership includes Pacific Island nations (coastal states) as well as major distant water fishing nations.

Participating Territories

Cooperating Non-Members

Cooperating Non-Member (CNM) status allows nations to cooperate with WCPFC without being full members.

Interested countries must apply annually for CNM status and once granted, they agree to abide by WCPFC conservation measures. CNMs may include nations with fishing fleets operating in the region or countries with markets for Pacific-caught fish.

1. The Bahamas
2. Curacao
3. Ecuador
4. El Salvador
5. Liberia
6. Panama
7. Thailand
8. Vietnam

Observers

The WCPFC is open to participation from intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and industry representatives or associations.

Observer organizations include groups focused on environmental protection, sustainable fishing practices, seafood industry interests, and regional coordination. 

Commission Structure

The WCPFC is structured around the Annual Meeting of the Commission, which serves as its ultimate decision-making body. The Commission held its first meeting in December 2004, following the Convention's entry into force in June 2004. 

Article 10 of the WCPFC Convention outlines the functions of the Commission, which are broad responsibilities to ensure the effective conservation and management of highly migratory fish stocks in the western and central Pacific Ocean. In summary, the Commission’s main functions are:

1. Adoption of Conservation and Management Measures

• Establish measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of highly migratory fish stocks.
• Take into account the precautionary approach, best scientific advice, and the impacts on associated species and the marine ecosystem.

2. Review and Assessment

• Regularly assess the status of stocks and the effectiveness of conservation measures.
• Monitor compliance with adopted measures.

3. Promotion of Cooperation

• Encourage cooperation among members, non-members, and other relevant organizations.
• Promote transparency and non-discrimination in decision-making.

4. Data Collection and Scientific Research

• Ensure the collection, verification, and timely dissemination of fisheries data.
• Promote and coordinate scientific research, including stock assessments.

5. Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS)

• Develop and implement effective monitoring, control, and surveillance mechanisms.
• Establish cooperative enforcement arrangements to deter IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing.

6. Compliance and Enforcement

• Establish procedures to promote compliance with conservation and management measures.
• Adopt responses to non-compliance by members and non-members.

7. Capacity Building and Assistance

• Recognize the special requirements of developing States, particularly small island developing States (SIDS).
• Provide assistance to strengthen capacity for conservation, monitoring, and enforcement.

8. Cooperation with Other Organizations

• Collaborate with other regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), UN bodies, and relevant international organizations to ensure consistency and avoid duplication.

✅ In short: The WCPFC Commission’s functions under Article 10 center on setting conservation measures, ensuring compliance, facilitating cooperation and data-sharing, supporting scientific research, and assisting developing States, all to safeguard tuna and other migratory fish stocks in the WCPO.

• CURRENT CHAIR: Dr. Josie Tamate (Niue), Term: 2025-2026
• CURRENT VICE CHAIR: Mr. Takumi Fukuda (Japan), Term: 2025-2026

Subsidiary Bodies (Committees)

The Convention establishes subsidiary bodies to the Commission, to provide advice and recommendations to the Commission on matters within their respective areas of competence.

Scientific Committee 

The Scientific Committee (SC) provides scientific advice and analysis essential for the effective management and conservation of fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. It evaluates fish stock assessments, ecosystem studies, biological data, and other relevant scientific research. The SC provides recommendations and scientific guidance directly to the Commission Annual Meeting, assisting it in establishing science-based conservation and management measures. All CCMs are members of the Scientific Committee. 

• CURRENT CHAIR: Ms. Emily Crigler, Term: 2024-2025
• CURRENT VICE CHAIR: Vacant

Technical and Compliance Committee 

The Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC) reviews and assesses compliance by CCMs with agreed conservation and management measures through the Commission's Compliance Monitoring Scheme. The TCC also reviews the Commission's monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) systems, examining technical aspects of enforcement, vessel monitoring, observer programs, transshipment, and compliance reporting. TCC offers critical advice and recommendations to the Commission on enhancing compliance, improving technical enforcement measures, and addressing identified compliance challenges. All CCMs are members of the TCC. 

• CURRENT CHAIR: Mr. Mat Kertesz (Australia), Term: 2025
• CURRENT VICE CHAIR: Mr. Ilkang Na (Korea), Term: 2025

Finance and Administration Committee 

The Finance and Administration Committee (FAC) oversees the Commission's budget development and implementation, ensuring that the Commission's work is adequately resourced and that its financial management is in accordance with agreed regulations and best practice. It examines annual budgets, expenditure reports, funding mechanisms, and administrative processes to ensure effective and transparent management.  FAC meets annually just prior to and during the Commission's Annual Meeting to ensure that Commission decisions that require financing can be accommodated before the end of the fiscal year. All CCMs are members of FAC. 

• CURRENT CO-CHAIR: Mr. David Power (Australia), Term: 2024-2025
• CURRENT CO-CHAIR: Ms. Putuh Suadela (Indonesia), Term: 2024-2025

Northern Committee 

The Northern Committee (NC) is responsible for stocks predominantly found north of the 20°N parallel, such as Pacific bluefin tuna, North Pacific albacore, and North Pacific swordfish. The NC develops conservation and management recommendations tailored to the ecological and management needs of northern fish stocks as designated by the Commission. The NC receives scientific advice on the northern stocks from the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean. Recommendations made by the NC are submitted to the Commission's Regular Annual Session for consideration and adoption. 

Membership in the NC is limited to a subset of WCPFC CCMs with direct fisheries interests or geographical relevance to northern stocks.

• CURRENT CHAIR: Mr. Masanori Miyahara (Japan), Term: 2025-2026
• CURRENT VICE CHAIR: Vacant

External Scientific and Technical Providers

• Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) is the Commission's Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) service provider, comprising a major component of the WCPFC's Pacific VMS.
• Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and International Scientific Committee (ISC) provide specialized scientific research and stock assessments, informing the Scientific Committee and subsequently the Commission Annual Meeting.

Intersessional Working Groups and Processes

The Commission may establish intersessional working groups (IWGs) or sanction other processes to progress work in the interessional period between its Regular Annual Sessions. These IWGs and processes help to progress technical and management matters, including on data collection and monitoring programmes, management of key tuna stocks, and development of new measures. 

The table below reflects the IWGs and intersessional processes in place for 2025 and their respective Chairs and Leads.

Summary

In summary, all subsidiary bodies (NC, SC, and TCC) operate under the oversight of the Commission, the ultimate decision-making body. They are advisory bodies designed to ensure decisions taken at the Commission Annual Meeting are well-informed by technical, scientific, compliance, and administrative expertise. Committee recommendations serve as inputs to the Commission, which retains final authority in adopting binding measures and policies for all members. Intersessional working groups and processes are also managed by the Commission and in some cases, may be tasked to one of the subsidiary bodies to exercise oversight.