Pacific nations are taking a plan to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission that they hope will restore the health of their albacore fisheries.
The Deputy Director General of the Forum Fisheries Agency, Wez Norris, says albacore fishing in the Pacific has become uneconomic for all nations except those whose fleets are subsidised.
He says the Pacific countries want to restrict the albacore catch to a level that is economically viable.
Mr Norris says firstly they want limits on the albacore catch within the exclusive economic zones of the Forum Island countries.
"So a limit that they hold and then they can attract either domestic vessels or foreign vessels to come in and catch those limits. And we want to complement that with limits on the high seas which each flag state would control. Again we are looking for a degree of co-operation so that we can stitch up both types of areas that don't necessarily put anyone out of place in the short term."
Wez Norris
