The European Commission has added its voice to concerns at the lack of progress at a major fisheries meeting last week.
The Parties to the Nauru Agreement and several non government organisations have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of action to protect fisheries at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission gathering in Apia.
The European Commission says an opportunity has been lost to strengthen the sustainable management of tuna, the protection of sharks and seabirds and the fight against illegal fishing in the region.
But the commission says it recognises steps forward like the adoption of a harvest control strategy for Albacore tuna and an agreement to set up a working group on the man-made fish attracting tools known as FADs.
It also says it had hoped for a more ambitious target for rebuilding the stock of bluefin tuna.