Northern Committee completes 5th annual session

Seven members of the Commission’s Northern Committee completed the 5th Regular Session of the Committee at Nagasaki, Japan on Thursday 10th. The Committee reviewed the status of stocks of Pacific bluefin, albacore and swordfish found in the North Pacific Ocean. Conservation and management considerations were based on the work of the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) which had met for its 10th session at Kaoshiung, Chinese Taipei in July 2009. Drawing on this scientific advice the Northern Committee recommended two conservation and measures, one for north Pacific albacore and one for Pacific bluefin, for adoption by the Commission when it meets for its 2009 session at Papeete, French Polynesia in December. The Committee also considered fishery and stock situations for striped marlin, sharks, skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the north Pacific. Data and data gaps, the relationship between Northern Committee, ISC and other elements of the Commissions scientific structure and function and relations with other organizations with a mutual interest in highly migratory fish stocks in the north Pacific were also discussed. An unedited summary report of the Committee’s discussions at Nagasaki is on Northern Committee page of the Commission’s website.