The Tuna Transparency Pledge, a global initiative spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy which aims to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) tuna fishing through electronic monitoring and other transparency efforts, has gained four new national signatories: the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Panama.
The goal of the pledge is to advance 100 percent on-the-water monitoring across all industrial tuna fishing vessels within the signatories’ jurisdictions or supply chains by 2027.
In a press release about the news, representatives for the recent signatories said that the pledge aligns with their nations’ cultural heritage and conservation goals.
Deputy Administrator General of Panama Gerardo Irimia Arosemena said that his nation takes its position “as a major gateway for the global tuna trade” seriously.
“By joining the Tuna Transparency Pledge, we are demonstrating our commitment to combating illegal fishing and protecting marine ecosystems that are vital to both our economy and our planet's health,” he said.
Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority Director Glen Joseph said that in island nations like his, “the ocean is everything – our livelihood, our culture, our future.”
Signing the pledge, he said, protects “not just fish stocks but the marine environment that sustains our communities and our way of life."
Palau Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Steven Victor said that signing the pledge continued Palau’s long history of leadership in marine conservation.
“The Tuna Transparency Pledge is a natural extension of our commitment to protecting our ocean heritage," Victor said. "This initiative will help ensure that tuna fishing in our region operates with the transparency and accountability our pristine waters deserve."
Nature Conservancy Director of Large-Scale Fisheries Ben Gilmer added that the addition of the new signatories “represents a pivotal moment for global tuna conservation.”
“These nations control some of the world's most productive tuna-fishing waters, and their commitment to 100 percent monitoring coverage sends a powerful signal that transparency and accountability are becoming the new standard for responsible tuna fishing. As we head into the UN Ocean Conference, having these countries [along with signatories Belize and the Federated States of Micronesia] represent more than 15 percent of the global tuna catch united behind this vision demonstrates the kind of concrete, collaborative action the world's oceans need right now,” Gilmer said.
The UN Ocean Conference is due to take place 9 to 13 June in Nice, France.
Besides national signatories, Since launching the pledge in 2024, The Nature Conservancy has secured signatories that include some of the world’s largest retailers, suppliers, and foodservice companies, as well as key global tuna industry stakeholders, including Walmart, Thai Union, Carrefour, Albertsons Companies, Aramark, Culimer USA, Lusamerica Foods, Pacific Island Tuna, Walker’s Tuna, and the Association of Large Freezer Tuna Vessels (AGAC).
International Seafood Sustainability Foundation President Susan Jackson called the pledge “uniquely powerful because it brings together governments, industry, and the NGO community in a shared commitment to elevate transparency at sea.”
“This kind of cross-sector collaboration is essential to accelerating sustainable tuna fisheries management,” she said. “By aligning around 100 percent on-the-water monitoring, signatories are not only setting a high bar for transparent accountability; they’re demonstrating what’s possible when science, policy, and practice converge to drive measurable change for ocean health.”
