By: Bernadette Carreon
Palau has joined the Tuna Transparency Pledge – a global initiative launched by The Nature Conservancy with the goal of achieving 100 percent on the water monitoring by 2027.
According to the TNC’s announcement yesterday, Palau joins the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Panama, and Papua New Guinea as the latest countries becoming signatories to the pledge.
In the announcement , Palau’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Steven Victor said the initiative will ensure transparency and accountability in the island nations waters.
“Palau has long been a leader in marine conservation, and the Tuna Transparency Pledge is a natural extension of our commitment to protecting our ocean heritage. This initiative will help ensure that tuna fishing in our region operates with the transparency and accountability our pristine waters deserve.”
TNC said the additional signatories represent more than 15% of the global tuna catch.
“The addition of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Panama to the Tuna Transparency Pledge represents a pivotal moment for global tuna conservation,” said Ben Gilmer, Director of Large-Scale Fisheries at The Nature Conservancy.
“These nations control some of the world’s most productive tuna fishing waters, and their commitment to 100 percent monitoring coverage sends a powerful signal that transparency and accountability are becoming the new standard for responsible tuna fishing. As we head into the UN Ocean Conference, having these countries representing more than 15% of the global tuna catch united behind this vision demonstrates the kind of concrete, collaborative action the world’s oceans need right now.”
By signing the Pledge, signatories are aiming to achieve 100 percent on-the-water monitoring across all industrial tuna fishing vessels within their supply chains or jurisdictions by 2027.