The environment group made the call as governments, including the Philippines, gather in Guam this week for the meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), of which the Philippines is a member.
The group said that based on a report from Canadian rankings of the industry showing that global fisheries are steadily moving towards fulfilling markets’ growing demands for "responsibly-sourced tuna," as a response to the rapid decline of global tuna stocks.
“Many of the major global markets for tuna, such as the UK and Canada, are now demanding fish caught using sustainable means. They fully realize that the current rate of fishing cannot continue,” said Mark Dia, Greenpeace Southeast Asia oceans campaigner.
She said: “The Philippines has to ensure that it is recognized as a certified source, otherwise the country risks losing out to other players.”
The WCPFC is an intergovernmental body whose meetings are crucial in deciding the future of Pacific tuna. Decisions taken by the body this week will have repercussions on tuna populations for generations to come.
Greenpeace is demanding that the WCPFC listen to consumer and industry demand for sustainable tuna and end all fishing in the Pacific Commons, continue the ban on wasteful FAD in purse seine fisheries and cut the bigeye tuna catch in half.
The current call of the Philippines to lift the ban is detrimental to the preservation of tuna stocks for future generations, the group said.'
It added that certain areas in the Pacific have been closed to FAD fishing for the past three years as a result of conservation measures taken by the WCPFC in response to the decline in bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks.
The Philippines, however, is lobbying to reverse these conservation measures. “It is time that the Philippines realize that their efforts to open the High Seas Pockets to FAD fishing will be detrimental in the longer term. We need to take conservation measures now both domestically and internationally in order to ensure fish for the future” Dia added.
The Philippines is the second largest canned tuna producer in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) following Thailand, and is the third biggest supplier of canned tuna.
The WCPO is the world’s largest tuna fishery, where roughly 60% of the world’s tuna supplies come from. Greenpeace said that valuable bigeye tuna is now overfished and yellowfin, skipjack and albacore tunas are all in decline. Destructive fishing methods, such as purse seine fishing using FADs, are largely to blame, and because the WCPFC has failed to follow its own scientific advice of reducing tuna catches, the group added.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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