Fresh negotiations will get underway this week to reach a new agreement on the South Pacific Tuna Treaty.
The treaty was first implemented in 1987 between the US government and Pacific island countries.
Yellowfin tuna inside a purse seine net Photo: Supplied / SPC
Our correspondent in Pago Pago says American Samoa will be watching the talks as its two tuna canneries depend on sufficient fish supply for their survival.
An interim agreement, valid only for 2015, allows the US purse seiner fleet to fish in the exclusive economic zones of the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries members.
The meeting is set for the 3rd to 5th of August in Brisbane.