Fiji, Dec. 2 -- The Republic of Korea has called on the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC22) to treat at-sea transshipment as a legitimate practice under strict oversight, warning that a blanket ban would threaten longline fleets and sustainable tuna operations.

"Separate legitimate, well-monitored at-sea transshipment from IUU fishing," Korea's delegation said, stressing the need to "focus on controls, data and accountability - not on banning logistics."

Korea argued that "at-sea transshipment is a legitimate, globally recognised practice when properly monitored," noting that longline fleets "depend on at-sea transshipment due to dispersed operations and long trips" and that "longline operations are often in the r...