The future of regional fisheries cooperation in a changing economic environment: The south pacific island countries in the 1990s

In the past half decade, the Pacific Island countries have changed the development strategy for their Tuna Fisheries from a rent maximization approach to an approach that entails developing their own “locally based”; tuna industries. This article seeks to explore how this new development strategy could affect the future of cooperation among Pacific Island countries. In the past, cooperation among Pacific Island countries has been extensive and vital to their collective well-being; in the future, it promises to be the only means of safeguarding the health of the tuna resource and avoiding the costly and wasteful excess capacity problem that plagues most commercial fisheries. The purpose of this article is not to prescribe policies, or to advocate a particular position, but rather to stimulate discussion and reflection about the future of cooperation before any major changes take place.