The Pacific Community, or SPC, says it's possible they will have to host a meeting with island countries on a proposal to develop a management body to protect fish other than tuna, later this year.
Australia and New Zealand have proposed setting up a regional fishing authority to manage a range of fish species in the Pacific and Southern Oceans.
But the Director of Marine Resources at the SPC, Tim Adams, says he can't comment directly on the idea without feedback from member countries.
He said the concept has been raised at several international meetings, and in an e-mailed reply to Radio New Zealand International he said:
"It is a necessary development and has been coming down the track for some time. However it remains to be seen whether Island countries want to go through another enormous effort to develop such a regime so soon after the culmination of ten years work on the development of the Tuna Commission."
Tim Adams, the Director of Marine Resources for SPC.
