The minimum price for a fishing day in waters of the eight-member Parties to the Nauru Agreement has risen to $US8000.
The figure for January 1 marks a 33-percent jump on last year's benchmark price.
The PNA members who control waters where over half of the world's skipjack tuna is caught have worked to limit the number of fishing days sold to purse seiners to create scarcity and drive up the fishing day price.
The director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, Glen Joseph, has confirmed that days are at a premium in 2015 - so much so that companies are already talking with his fisheries agency to secure fishing days for 2016.
He predicts some boats will be tied up at dock this year because this situation will force fishing companies to give limited days to the larger, more efficient vessels.
PNA limits purse seine fishing by all fleets to about 45,000 days a year.