With effect from 1st December 2007, the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) for the Western and Central Pacific purse seine fishery will become operational for implementation by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA).

The VDS is a fisheries management tool for purse seine fishery which will be implemented by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) as a conservation and management measure for Bigeye and Yellowfin Tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

The VDS will replace the purse seine vessel number limit of 205 vessels under Palau Arrangement for the Management of the Western Pacific Purse Seine Fishery (Palau Arrangement).

The PNA agreed in May 2007 to apply a TAE (Total Allowable Effort) of 28,469 fishing days based on the 2004 fishing efforts. They also agreed to apply their allocated PAEs (Party Allowable Effort) – which is a total catch effort by Western Central Pacific island nations.

The introduction of the VDS should ensure the biological sustainability of the world’s largest and most valuable exploited tuna stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

The VDS will limit the total number of fishing days for purse seine fishing vessels fishing in PNA member countries EEZs in the western and central Pacific Ocean region (WCPO) to the TAE. The TAE is determined and reviewed annually by the PNA.

The satellite VMS (Vessel Monitoring System)  will be used to monitor and record the purse seine vessel position reports in the WCPO from which the VDS will compute the number of fishing days for each purse seine vessel/fishing fleet in the PNA members EEZs. Non-compliance by vessels to the FFA VMS requirements may render the vessels’ licenses withdrawn by the PNA.

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