Fiji, Dec. 5 -- French Pacific territories at WCPFC22 in Manila are rejecting proposals they say would cripple domestic albacore fisheries and breach the Convention's obligations to protect Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

French Polynesia led the pushback, telling the Commission its communities cannot absorb the economic shock built into one of the proposed harvest control rules.

"Our fleets operate exclusively within our EEZ and South Pacific albacore is sustaining not only fisheries but an entire value chain. Vessel maintenance and ship building, processing and distribution of fish products and thousands of the households depend on these jobs and local economy," the delegation said.

Invoking Article 5 of the Convention, French...