The Catch Documentation Scheme Intersessional Working Group. Formed in 2012 and first convened in 2013, its purpose is to design and recommend a region‑wide catch documentation scheme for the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. In simple terms, the group develops rules and tools to trace tuna from capture to final market, closing gaps that allow illegal, unreported, and unregulated catch to enter trade. By embedding traceability in fishing and trade, the group supports the WCPFC mission of lawful, sustainable fisheries.
Background and Purpose
In 2012, the Commission adopted operations and terms of reference for a Catch Documentation Scheme working group. Mr Alois Kinol of Papua New Guinea served as the first Chair. The first meeting took place on 1 October 2013 in Pohnpei, immediately after TCC9. Members agreed on a work plan and asked the Secretariat to compile national programs, capacity needs, and core CDS elements. In 2014, the Commission set a budget of USD 20,000 for a workshop held before TCC10. Papua New Guinea provided an additional USD 30,000. The Secretariat engaged Fishwell Consulting to prepare a discussion paper that framed objectives, scope, and options for a WCPFC CDS.
The working group is open to all members, participating territories, and observers. It operates intersessionally through correspondence and targeted meetings. The Secretariat provides technical support. Guiding principles are clear. Define objectives, integrate with existing monitoring systems, support small island developing states, and phase in implementation to match capacity.
Why a Catch Documentation Scheme?
A catch documentation scheme records verified information on fish from the point of capture to the final destination. It differs from trade documentation, which records only traded product. A CDS delivers practical benefits:
- Traceability: End‑to‑end documentation ties each lot of fish to a legal trip, vessel, and area of capture.
- IUU risk control: Gatekeeping at export, import, and re‑export blocks products without valid documentation.
- Compliance assurance: Validation by competent authorities, plus checks at landing and border points, strengthens adherence to conservation and management measures.
- Better data: Documentation fills gaps in catch, transshipment, and processing flows, improving stock assessment inputs.
- System links: A CDS aligns with VMS, observers, electronic reporting and monitoring, port State measures, and vessel registries.
- Mass‑balance tests: Reconciliation across landings, processing, and exports flags anomalies for follow‑up.
Historical Highlights
- 2012, Establishment: WCPFC9 adopted operations and terms of reference for the CDS‑IWG. The mandate set a phased path, starting in 2013, with a provisional proposal targeted for trial in 2014 to 2015.
- 2013, First meeting: The group met in Pohnpei on 1 October 2013. Members agreed on a work plan, requested national submissions on existing schemes and capacity, and discussed priority fisheries for early application.
- 2014, Workshop and framing: A pre‑TCC10 workshop in Pohnpei reviewed a commissioned discussion paper. Participants endorsed core objectives, supported broad design coverage across gears and species with phased implementation, and highlighted the need to involve market States. PNG support and a Commission budget funded this step.
- 2015, Building standards: The Pohnpei session advanced CDS design, reviewed best practices from other tuna RFMOs, and tabled technical papers on principles, development of CDS standards, and mass‑balance reconciliation.
- 2016, Version 2 and trials: The third meeting in Pohnpei reviewed Version 2 of draft CDS standards, heard an update on the mass‑balance trial, and summarized international CDS developments. A final report went to TCC12 along with an agreed 2016 work plan.
- 2019 to 2022, Pacific bluefin track begins: Work on a species‑focused CDS for Pacific bluefin tuna moved under a Joint IATTC and WCPFC‑Northern Committee process. A CDS Technical Meeting series began. The third technical meeting established a small group to progress budget and administrative options for an electronic system.
- 2023, CDS‑04, Fukuoka: Participants agreed to a stepwise scope focused first on international transactions. Elements discussed included registers for vessels and farms, required documents across catch, trade, caging, harvesting, and transshipment, optional tagging provisions, roles for validation and verification, and data confidentiality and sharing arrangements.
- 2024, CDS‑05, Kushiro: The meeting compared two implementation paths, a single joint system or two harmonized systems. Participants progressed a draft CMM or Resolution text and finalized a draft agreement with the Pacific Community to leverage TUFMAN2 code as the base for an electronic Pacific bluefin CDS.
- 2025, CDS‑06, Toyama: The technical meeting continued work on the draft measure and the electronic Pacific bluefin catch documentation and re‑export certificates. The small working group prepared amendments to the draft text for consideration alongside the Joint Working Group on Pacific bluefin tuna.
Recent Developments and Future Outlook
As of 2025, the CDS agenda has two linked tracks. The original intersessional work built the region‑wide design, principles, and standards. The current Pacific bluefin track is translating those principles into an operational electronic system, with clear border controls and near‑real‑time verification. Development uses proven database components and aligns with other RFMOs to ease implementation. Next steps focus on system build, testing, governance, and capacity support for small island developing states. Members will also align CDS data flows with existing national systems, electronic reporting, and port inspection workflows.
Once deployed, an electronic Pacific bluefin CDS will require complete, validated documentation at export, import, and re‑export. That requirement delivers stronger supply‑chain integrity and a clear audit trail. Lessons from this rollout will inform broader CDS applications across other species and gears in the WCPO.
For the general public, what does this mean for you? You get stronger assurance that tuna entering your market has a legal, traceable origin. Retailers and buyers get a cleaner audit trail. Managers get faster, more reliable information to enforce the rules and keep IUU fish out of supply chains. The result supports healthy stocks and fair competition for Pacific Island communities and industry.