Highlights from the 2025 Shanghai Pacific Fisheries Symposium (8-10 October)

Sunnefa Yeatman Ómarsdóttir — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:20:07 +0000

In an era of rapid ocean change, effective management of Pacific tuna fisheries depends on robust science, informed policy, and genuine international collaboration. From 8–10 October 2025, more than forty researchers, scientists, and policy experts gathered in Shanghai for the second Shanghai Pacific Fisheries Symposium, a meeting aimed at strengthening the science-policy interface in Pacific fisheries.

The symposium, co-hosted by Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU), the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS). Over three days, participants shared new research, discussed pressing challenges, and identified opportunities to deepen scientific cooperation and policy collaboration across the Pacific region.

Held at the Shanghai Royal Garden Hotel, with a tour of SHOU’s state-of-the-art facilities—including its fisheries museum, research laboratories, fishing technology tanks, and training centres—the event showcased the university’s commitment to marine science and its growing leadership in Pacific fisheries research.

Representatives came from across the region, including SHOU, SPC, ANCORS, Solomon Islands National University (SINU), the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA), the Vanuatu Fisheries Department, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). Together, they explored how advancing fisheries science can inform equitable and sustainable governance of the Pacific’s most valuable shared resource—its tuna stocks.

Opening the symposium, Professor Luo Yi, Vice President of Shanghai Ocean University, welcomed participants and emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration between the Pacific and China. This theme of cooperation was echoed in the keynote address by Dr Transform Aqorau, Vice-Chancellor of the Solomon Islands National University and one of the Pacific’s leading fisheries policy voices. In his address, “From the Pacific to the World: Navigating Global Policy Currents in the Governance of Tuna Fisheries in Pacific Island States,” Dr Aqorau highlighted the region’s influence on global fisheries policy.

Theme 1: Biological and Ecological Studies of Pacific Tunas

The symposium’s first thematic session, chaired by Professor Fan Zhang (SHOU), focused on advancing understanding of tuna biology and ecology. These studies are critical for refining stock assessments and predicting how tuna populations respond to environmental variability and climate change.

Presentations explored topics such as the mechanisms of El Niño effects on skipjack tuna population dynamics (Qinqin Lin, SHOU), population structure of South Pacific albacore associated with distinct spawning habitats (Dongqi Lu, SHOU), and how spatial-temporal fishing strategies influence catch composition in FAD-associated purse seine fisheries (Cheng Zhou, SHOU).

Discussions also addressed the improving quality of AIS data (Xin Cheng, SHOU), the relationship between fleet size and catch productivity (Hongyu Lin, SHOU), and carbon emission assessments in Chinese longline vessels (Xiaoci Wu, SHOU). The session concluded with an analysis by Dr Joe Scutt Phillips (SPC) on how heterogeneous ocean environments shape biological parameters in Pacific tunas.

Collectively, these studies showed the growing integration of ecological modelling, technological innovation, and environmental monitoring in fisheries science. As Pacific tuna species experience shifting distributions and changing productivity patterns, this body of research will be essential to adapt fisheries management approaches.

Theme 2: Stock Assessment and Management Strategy Evaluation

The second session, chaired by Dr Graham Pilling (SPC), turned to the quantitative side of fisheries science: stock assessment and management strategy evaluation (MSE). With growing data complexity and ecological uncertainty, developing reliable models for tuna population dynamics and management performance remains a cornerstone of fisheries governance.

Presentations by scientists from SHOU and the IATTC showcased recent innovations in modelling approaches. Haikun Xu (IATTC) presented on “Joint Modelling of Multiple Longline Fleets to Improve Indices of Abundance for Bigeye and Yellowfin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean”, while Shiyu Yang (SHOU) discussed environmental drivers of catchability using advanced statistical models such as VAST and sdmTMB. Rujia Bi (IATTC) highlighted the potential of integrating CPUE and length composition data across gear types using spatiotemporal frameworks, offering new ways to improve data standardization and reduce uncertainty.

From the policy side, Yanan Li (SHOU) evaluated the effectiveness of catch limits for longline fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific, while Dr Carolina Minte-Vera (IATTC) examined the role of conceptual models in improving assessment transparency and communication.

Closing the session, Dr Graham Pilling (SPC) addressed the perennial challenge of uncertainty—from assessments to harvest strategies—while Nan Yao (SPC) tested whether CPUE projections are realistic through hindcasting analyses. The session concluded with Robert Scott (SPC) presenting on the critical task of incorporating climate change impacts into harvest strategies to ensure resilience under changing ocean conditions.

Together, these presentations showed how modern fisheries science is evolving to meet new challenges—integrating environmental data, improving modelling techniques, and developing adaptive management tools that can respond to ecological and climatic variability.

Theme 3: Global Policy Drivers for Pacific Tuna Fisheries

The symposium’s final session, chaired by Professor Quentin Hanich (ANCORS), brought science and policy together, examining how global governance, environmental change, and social equity intersect in Pacific tuna fisheries.

Dr Xiaolin Chu (SHOU) opened with an overview of China’s evolving approach to managing its pelagic tuna fisheries, highlighting challenges and pathways toward sustainable reform. Dr Johann Bell (ANCORS) followed with a presentation on the nutritional benefits of increasing tuna access for Pacific Island food systems, linking fisheries policy to human health and food security. Building on this, Dr Kate Barclay (UTS) discussed the socioeconomic monitoring of tuna industry development benefits, while Max Gillespie (FFA) presented a regional analysis of the economic impacts of climate change on Pacific tuna fisheries. Dr Kamal Azmi (ANCORS) proposed that transferable fishing rights could offer a robust response to climate-induced shifts in tuna distribution.

Several presentations examined broader governance issues. Yuru He (SHOU) analysed the potential catalytic effect of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) Advisory Opinion on decarbonising high seas fisheries, while Sunnefa Yeatman Omarsdottir (ANCORS) introduced a perspective on reducing underwater noise pollution through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs).

Bianca Haas (ANCORS) addressed the persistent challenge of crew welfare and labour conditions in industrial fisheries, and Prof. Hanich concluded the session with an exploration of the evolution of allocation mechanisms in transboundary fisheries—from theoretical economics to pragmatic governance solutions.

This rich and diverse discussion underscored that Pacific tuna fisheries governance is not just a scientific or economic issue—it is a matter of social equity, climate resilience, and global environmental justice.

From Symposium to Scientific Synthesis

The 2025 Shanghai Pacific Fisheries Symposium concluded with a forward-looking commitment: to translate these discussions into tangible outputs that inform both science and policy.

Participants agreed to prepare a special issue in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, co-edited by Prof. Fan Zhang (SHOU), Dr Graham Pilling (SPC), and Prof. Quentin Hanich (ANCORS). The publication will consolidate key research findings from the symposium and aims to be distributed at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) 2026 meeting, providing valuable insights to decision-makers and stakeholders across the region.

Looking ahead, SHOU, SPC, and ANCORS plan to build on this growing partnership by convening a third symposium in late 2026, strengthening scientific cooperation and dialogue between China and the Pacific.

A Model for Collaborative Ocean Governance

The Shanghai Pacific Fisheries Symposium series represents more than an academic gathering, through linking leading institutions in Asia and the Pacific, the symposium promotes shared responsibility for the use of marine resources. As global ocean governance faces unprecedented challenges—from climate change and biodiversity loss to social inequality and technological disruption—these networks of collaboration are vital. They ensure that the best available science informs policy, that Pacific voices remain central to global discussions, and that the next generation of scientists and policy makers are equipped to navigate the intersection of environment, economy, and equity.

About the Organisers

Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU) – A leading Chinese university in marine and fisheries sciences, with growing partnerships across the Pacific.
The Pacific Community (SPC) – The region’s principal scientific and technical organisation, supporting sustainable development across Pacific Island countries and territories.
ANCORS, University of Wollongong – Australia’s premier academic centre for ocean governance, law of the sea, and maritime policy.

Together, these institutions are shaping a future where scientific collaboration underpins equitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient fisheries management across the Pacific.

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