22nd Regular Session of the Technical and Compliance Committee: Full Annotated Agenda

The meeting will commence  at 8:30am on Wednesday 23 September 2026. 

The TCC Chair, Mr Ilkang Na (Republic of Korea), will open the Twenty-Second Regular Session of the Technical and Compliance Committee (TCC22) of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and welcome delegations of the WCPFC Members, Cooperating Non-Members and Participating Territories (CCMs) and Observers.

The Chair will present the Provisional Agenda (WCPFC-TCC22-2026-01_Rev01) for consideration and adoption. 

The Rules of Procedure provide that Members may propose supplementary agenda items until 30 days before the meeting (Rule 3). The agenda, as modified, will need to be adopted by the meeting (Rule 5).

*Rev01 adds Agenda Item 4.5 to cover items referred by the 22nd Regular Session of the Scientific Committee (SC22) relating to scientific data provision. 

TCC22 will review the Indicative Schedule and consider logistical arrangements to support the meeting, including proposed meeting times, small working groups, hybrid participation arrangements and any social events.

A bus schedule to transport meeting participants between hotels and the meeting venue is HERE. 

The Executive Director will provide a report on relevant technical and compliance issues, as well as key strategic issues for discussion at WCPFC23. This will include cross-cutting technical issues arising from implementation of existing and proposed CMMs, and scientific data provision.

TCC will provide technical advice on data collection and monitoring in support of management procedures and implementing CMMs, and will review relevant SC22 and NC22 outcomes on management procedure development processes, consistent with the Harvest Strategy Workplan endorsed at WCPFC22.

Reference: CMM 2022-03 Conservation and Management Measure on Establishing a Harvest Strategy for key fisheries and stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Consistent with WCPFC22 decisions to progressively integrate climate considerations into SC, TCC, and Secretariat processes (using both quantitative and qualitative methods), TCC22 will consider information gaps and analytical needs relevant to compliance and MCS.

Reference: WCPFC Climate Change Workplan 2024-2027

The Commission has agreed to review some CMMs for consideration and possible adoption at WCPFC23 in 2026. These reviews have progressed intersessionally and where relevant, updates have been provided to SC and TCC. 

TCC22 will review available information to consider any recommendations or advice to the Commission in support of CMM implementation. 

TCC will review matters recommended to it by SC22 in paper SC22 outcomes related to TCC22,  matters relating to data provided by the Scientific Service Provider (SSP), and other matters in connection with the work of the Commission.

The specific matters from SC22 that may also be discussed at TCC22 include, but are not limited to:

• Standing agenda item for the mixed-fishery monitoring strategy (BET and YFT), including consolidated papers and an online approach (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 110),
• Strengthening observer monitoring of longline ALDFG, including through electronic reporting and observer training (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 156)
• Expansion of longline ALDFG monitoring beyond the 13 CCMs currently monitoring, and to additional WCPFC fleets (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 158)
• Limited scientific value of additional ALDFG reporting while longline observer coverage remains low, and support for increased independent monitoring (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 159)
• Further scientific discussion required before including underwater noise and greenhouse gas emissions in the measure; management implications for TCC (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 160)
• Three-year review period following adoption of a new marine pollution measure (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 161)
• Collection of information on remaining gear when a sea turtle is released in the water after a longline interaction (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 154)
• Relevance of remaining-gear information on animals released alive to post-release survival of other species (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 155)
• Refinement of satellite buoy data transmission requirements and limited technical refinement of the FAD logbook through the FADMO IWG (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 11)
• Focus satellite buoy fields on automatically reported data, with separate reporting for manual and automatic events (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 11)
• Stepwise introduction of biodegradable dFADs under CMM 2025-02 paragraph 19, with standards and a monitoring framework (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 132)
• Forwarding of SC22-MI-IP01 and SC22-MI-IP05 on purse-seine effort–catch trends, including effort creep (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 119)
• Revision of SciData as set out in Attachment A of the ISG02 Summary Report, to align with standardised templates (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 9)
• Revised SSP paper on unloading data for TCC22 (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 10)
• ROP IWG review of unresolved MSDF fields (marine pollution, seabirds, SSI, sharks, FADs, transhipment), observer workload, and the distinction between MSDF fields and CCFS evidence (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 12)
• Progress a draft CMM for a WCPFC Electronic Monitoring Programme, consistent with the ER and EM IWG workplan (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 14)
• Options to expand longline monitoring coverage through human and electronic approaches, including for estimates of sea turtle and cetacean bycatch (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 13)
• Possible swap of Commission and Scientific Committee meeting timing, with Secretariat information to WCPFC23 (SC22 Outcomes, paragraph 181)

TCC22 may, as appropriate, provide advice and recommendations to the Commission.

TCC22 will review the draft Compliance Monitoring Report covering 2025 activities, the aggregated CCFS summary tables, and related process papers, and will develop a Provisional CMR (pCMR) for transmission to the Commission. The draft CMR and related materials are available to authorised CCM officials on the SECURE pages of the WCPFC website. 

Reference: Compliance Monitoring Scheme webpage (public side) on WCPFC website.

Following earlier Commission and TCC taskings, flag CCMs are to provide information justifying the closing-out of CCFS cases older than 24 months, which the Secretariat then verifies. WCPFC-TCC22-2026-18 reports progress on that caseload. TCC22 will consider the information provided and any advice or recommendations to the Commission on remaining old cases.

CMM 2023-04 on the Compliance Monitoring Scheme applies for 2024–2026. TCC22 will review the measure’s performance and provide advice and recommendations on any successor arrangement or enhancements for consideration by the Commission at WCPFC23.

WCPFC22 adopted a set of CMS Audit Points (Attachment 31) after considering WCPFC22-2025-37, and agreed that work on the remaining draft points would continue in 2026, led by the TCC Vice-Chair. WCPFC-TCC22-2026-32 contains the review of those outstanding drafts. Related CMM-specific drafts are also included under 4.4.3 (DP04 on CMM 2024-04 on crew labour standards). TCC22 will review and further develop the draft audit points for advice to WCPFC23.

Reference: Audit points adopted for current obligations can be found together with the CMM on the Conservation and Management Measures, and Resolutions webpage. 

CMM 2023-04 paragraph 6 tasks TCC to prepare a provisional list of obligations for the following year’s CMS, using a risk-based approach as possible guidance. WCPFC22 adopted the list for the 2026 CMS. WCPFC-TCC22-2026-19 contains the proposed list of obligations for the 2027 CMS, covering the 2026 Reporting Year. TCC22 will review the proposed list and make a recommendation to the Commission for consideration at WCPFC23. 

WCPFC-TCC22-2026-RP03 contains the required annual report to TCC on transhipment reporting, including high-seas activities. WCPFC22 tasked the Secretariat to publish and maintain on the website a *list of vessels engaged in high-seas transhipment by year (see WCPFC22 Summary Report, paragraph 516) and noted support for further consideration at TCC22 of delegation papers to address other aspects of CMM 2009-06.

*The list is available on the SECURE CCM Portal of the WCPFC website and accessible by authorised CCM users.

TCC22 will consider a paper considering resources to support the entry of ROP observer reports (WP24E). TCC21/WCPFC22 tasked the Secretariat and SSP to set out the existing data flows used to create CCFS cases from observer data and to update those cases. IP04 is that description: the CCFS has operated since 2016 and, since 2019, as a secure searchable system to help CCMs track alleged violations by their flagged vessels. The ROP IWG has been developing a process under which the responsible ROP CCM would provide relevant observer information for case creation directly to the Secretariat, removing the need for the SSP to transfer that information. The ROP-IWG papers under 5.7 and 7.4 (WP24 and 24A–24D) and the ROP annual report (RP02) sit within that work.

This is the fourth iteration of the Secretariat’s standing paper on data available to verify CMS obligations (WCPFC-TCC22-2026-06), first tasked at WCPFC19. Across those iterations the core finding has been stable: independent verification is strong for a limited set of high-coverage obligations, particularly purse-seine fishing-day limits in EEZs and high seas and the HSP1 vessel limit, where operational catch and effort, VMS and observer data can be combined; many catch-based and vessel-number limits, obligations that use terms such as “actively fishing for”, and a significant number of FAD, shark, seabird, turtle and marine-pollution measures continue to rely predominantly on CCM self-reporting, with persistent gaps in longline observer coverage. TCC22 is invited to draw conclusions from that series and to consider recommendations for WCPFC23.

The TCC Workplan 2025–2027, which the Commission agreed the Chair would revise and circulate in early 2026 (WCPFC22 Summary Report paragraph 643), includes work on guidelines for observer participation in closed meetings of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies that consider the CMR.

Under CMM 2023-04, CCMs may identify Capacity Assistance Needs (CANs) through Annual Report Part 2 and dCMR replies; for a SIDS or Participating Territory, or Indonesia or the Philippines, a Capacity Development Plan (CDP) is also required for a “Capacity Assistance Needed” CMS status. WCPFC-TCC22-2026-10 consolidates CANs/CDPs from the 2025 Final CMR (RY2024), including eight progress reports considered by TCC21 and additional CANs for Indonesia and Solomon Islands, and records TCC21’s request that ongoing CDPs be updated with progress and a clear end date rather than left open-ended. 

Needs remain concentrated in human capacity, data and digital systems, MCS, science-based management and domestic economic development, while assistance is also concentrated among a relatively small group of providing CCMs and FFA/SPC programmes funded through the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), Special Requirements Fund (SRF), and the regional workshop budget line. 

TCC22 will review whether existing CANs have been met, consider any new requests arising from the 2026 dCMR, and note that the independent Article 30 review due to report in June 2027 is expected to assess how well these assistance mechanisms are meeting Convention requirements over time.

WCPFC22 adopted a new reporting template for use from 2026 by both SIDS/Territory and non-SIDS CCMs against CMM 2013-06 paragraph 1 and CMM 2013-07, combining what had previously been separate papers into a single demand-and-supply picture of capacity assistance. 

The template uses a three-step process: Section 1 for SIDS and Territory needs and priorities (pre-populated in 2026 from ARPt2, CMS CANs, and the SIP); Section 2 for assistance and cooperation reported by other CCMs; and Section 3 for SIDS/Territory feedback on whether that assistance met identified needs. 

2026 is the first reporting cycle against the new template, so there is no prior-year baseline and Section 3 feedback is not yet available. WCPFC-TCC22-2026-10 reports improved but still variable detail, substantial thematic alignment between needs and support, and an unmet shift from basic capacity-building toward operating sophisticated management, compliance, digital, and market systems. 

TCC22 is invited to consider whether the template is adequate and what refinements are needed before the second reporting cycle in 2027, when Section 3 responses and the June 2027 Article 30 review report should allow TCC23 to start assessing whether reported assistance is closing the gaps identified by SIDS and Territories.

This is the first year TCC is expected to assess the Commission’s own compliance with CMM 2013-06 paragraphs 2 and 4 in plenary, following the approach recommended by TCC21 and adopted at WCPFC22: paragraph 2 as a collective implementation obligation to ensure CMMs do not transfer a disproportionate burden of conservation action onto developing States Parties, particularly SIDS and territories; and paragraph 4 as the mechanism for SIDS and territories to raise demonstrated burden and for the Commission to apply mitigation (including phased or delayed implementation, exemptions, alternative measures or dedicated assistance under paragraph 4(a)–(d) and the special-requirement categories in CMM 2013-07). 

WCPFC-TCC22-2026-08 compiles 2024 expressions of disproportionate burden and corresponding 2025 Commission actions (including SPA MP outcomes), together with CAN/CDP and assistance tables as possible indicators of residual burden, and invites TCC22 to decide whether that information is sufficient to make a compliance assessment. The same paper notes that the independent review of Article 30 implementation is underway in 2026, with the final report due to the Secretariat by 30 June 2027 for comment by SC23 and TCC23 before consideration at WCPFC24. The Article 30 Independent Review Panel may consult at TCC22, and its 2027 findings are expected to shape how TCC assesses these collective obligations in subsequent years.

The Commission VMS is implemented through CMM 2014-02, the VMS SSPs, and the VMS SOPs.

• WCPFC-TCC22-2026-RP01 contains the annual implementation report to TCC. 
• WCPFC-TCC22-2026-13 proposes updates to the SSPs and SOPs to reflect system upgrades made in response to CCM feedback (with the draft SSP and SOP texts as supplements), noting that WCPFC22 adopted an earlier SOP update. 
• WCPFC-TCC22-2026-14 is a request to remove specified ALCs/MTUs from the approved list. 

TCC22 will review implementation, the proposed SSP/SOP amendments, and the ALC request, and make recommendations to the Commission for consideration and adoption at WCPFC23.

WCPFC21 tasked TCC to commence work from 2025 on a framework for assessing impracticability, building on WCPFC-TCC20-2024-DP07 (delegation paper from the Marshall Islands). 

WCPFC22 noted support for further consideration of delegation papers during 2026 and at TCC22, with a view to further consideration by the Commission at WCPFC23, and tasked the Secretariat to publish and maintain a yearly list of vessels engaged in high-seas transhipment (WCPFC22 Summary Report paragraph 516). 

WCPFC22 endorsed the ER and EM IWG Workplan and asked the IWG to prioritise the audit and assurance framework, review EM data requirements not covered by the ROP minimum data fields, refine the SSPs for onboard EM systems, and elaborate a draft CMM for a WCPFC Electronic Monitoring Programme in 2026, as appropriate. 

An update on the IWG's work is contained in WCPFC-TCC22-2026-26. Noting the close links between the IWG's work and TCC's mandate, TCC22 will have an opportunity to provide input. TCC22 will also consider at delegation paper from the United States (DP02) on  a proposed CMM to implement a WCPFC EM programme.

WCPFC22 endorsed an updated 2026 ROP-IWG workplan and the removal of redundant ROP Minimum Standard Data Fields. The IWG Chair’s submissions to TCC22 (WCPFC-TCC22-2026-24 and 24a–24d) covers CCFS process flow, the scope of monitoring CCFS cases, non-catch transfers, and the current data flow for case creation from observer reporting, the same flow described under 5.7 in WCPFC-TCC22-2026-IP04. 

WCPFC22 agreed to progress four CCFS items in 2026 and discuss them again at TCC22: case notification for reflagged vessels, automated investigation timelines, improved messaging-tool identifiers, and identification of multiple initiating CCMs (Summary Report paragraph 641). TCC22 will also consider a delegation paper from the United States (DP01) on recommended technical CCFS enhancements. 

High-seas boarding and inspection procedures are contained in CMM 2006-08, amended in 2025 as CMM 2025-07 to recognise a future WCPFC Electronic Monitoring Programme.

WCPFC22 adopted a standardised multi-language questionnaire and Voluntary Guides on DNA sampling, catch estimation, measuring-tool calibration, bycatch-mitigation measuring, and photographic and video evidence, and supported continuation of the HSBI Working Group in 2026, including a new Voluntary Guide for CMM 2024-04 (crew labour standards) and an update of the bycatch-mitigation guide to align with CMM 2025-05 on seabirds. 

TCC22 will receive an update on the HSBI WG activities since TCC21. 

TCC22 will review updates on data-exchange arrangements with other RFMOs in WCPFC-TCC22-2026-15 and information on the specific issues arising in the WCPFC–IATTC overlap area in WCPFC-TCC22-2026-05, together with the annual analysis of trends in fisheries operating in the overlap area (RP10). Overlap-area notifications are also summarised in the tropical tuna reporting paper under 4.4.6, which refers to the WCPFC9 Decision, paragraph 80.

TCC22 will conduct the annual paragraph 13 review of the compiled Part 2 / enforcement information, including whether the Annex 2 additions agreed after TCC21 are producing enough detail to tell fins-naturally-attached fleets from alternative-measure fleets, and whether the alternatives are enforceable in practice. This information is classified as Level 2-Secure, and available only to registered TCC22 participants. 

Reference: CMM 2025-06

The Commission adopted CMM 2025-05 at WCPFC22 on seabird mitigation, and TCC is tasked (para 11) to annually review any new information on new or existing mitigation measures or on seabird interactions from observer or other monitoring programmes. TCC22 will consider any new information from CCMs and provide advice and recommendations to the Commission for consideration at WCPFC23.

CMM 2024-01 is the Pacific bluefin conservation measure and CMM 2024-02 the associated MCS measure, including catch documentation elements. TCC22 will review information compiled in WCPFC-TCC22-2026-11 containing reports received from relevant CCMs under CMM 2024-02, and make recommendations, as necessary.

Pursuant to CMM 2019-07, TCC22 will review the current WCPFC IUU Vessel List and the draft IUU Vessel List, together with any suitably documented information, and provide recommendations for the Commission’s adoption of a WCPFC IUU Vessel List for 2027. Information to support TCC22's consideration is contained in WCPFC-TCC22-2026-04.

Reference: 2026 WCPFC IUU Vessel List

The Secretariat will provide an update to TCC22 on the WCPFC Information and Network Security Framework. TCC22 will note progress and any issues requiring advice to the Commission.

Since 2023, the Secretariat has expanded CCM support through online reporting systems, Annual Reporting Guidance (tasked at TCC19), Helpdesk resources, the Secretariat Attachment Programme, regular CCM outreach, and targeted training where requested. TCC22 will review updates on efforts undertaken since TCC21 to support CCMs and provide guidance and feedback, including where future support would be most useful.