Ninth (9th) Commission Session Concludes Hybrid Meetings in Osaka, Japan

For Immediate Release: 27 March 2025

The 9th Meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (COM09) took place from 24-27 March 2025, in-person and by video conferencing. The Commission meeting was chaired by Mr. Shingo OTA (Japan). It was preceded by the Finance and Administration Committee (FAC07) meeting on 22 March and the Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC08) meeting from 18-21 March. The event was attended by over 130 participants from nine Members, and 13 observer groups. Acknowledged this year was the 10-year anniversary of the creation of the NPFC in 2015. The significant progress made to date to develop regional management of key fisheries, supported by the provision of robust science advice, was acknowledged. 

The Commission Meeting has achieved the following:

• Revised the Conservation and Management Measure (CMM) for Pacific saury including applying the interim harvest control rule and reducing the total allowable catch by 10% to help improve the status of the stock

• Updated the CMM for chub mackerel including a 29% reduction in catch for the fishing year starting in June 2025

• Adopted a new Conservation and Management Measure for a transshipment observer program for the NPFC Convention Area to come into effect on 1 April 2026

• Amended the Transshipment and Vessel Monitoring System CMMs for greater clarity and reporting enhancements, 

• Amended CMMs for bottom fisheries in the north-west and north-east Pacific Ocean for better clarity and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems

• Enhanced reporting requirements for bycatch in pelagic fisheries (Pacific saury, chub mackerel, Japanese sardine, neon flying squid and Japanese flying squid)

• Adopted Rules of Transparency for the Technical and Compliance Committee

• Adopted the 2025 NPFC Compliance Monitoring Report, and

• Adopted the 2025 NPFC IUU vessel list with no additional vessels added in 2025, and

• Agreed to seek deeper cooperation with other regional bodies such as the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

The next Commission meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place 14-17 April 2026 in Japan.

For more information, please contact the Executive Secretary of NPFC.

Telephone: +81 3 5479 8717

E-mail: Executive.Secretary@NPFC.int

website: www.npfc.int