The chief executive of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement says Pacific leaders must work with the regional fishing group or attempts to manage the fishery will fail.
Yellowfin tuna inside a purse seine net Photo: Supplied / SPC
Transform Aqorau's comments comes after Pacific leaders called for a review of the PNA's Vessel Day Scheme and promoted a New Zealand style quota management system instead.
Speaking to industry stakeholders at the 5th Pacific Tuna Forum in Fiji this week, Dr Aqorau says his body is already considering a catch based management system, but is moving cautiously.
"And the study will tell us whether it is time because there is no catch based system in any regional Tuna management organisation in the world that I know off that exists in a multi-fisheries, multi-species tuna fisheries."
Dr Aqorau says he accepts the need for better management of the fishery but he says the Vessel Day Scheme has been successful so far, while a quota-led system has never been used for multiple countries and species.
Listen to Dateline Pacific's report on the uncertain future for Pacific tuna fisheries