Vessel Day Scheme and Tuna Catch in the Pacific Island Region

ABSTRACT Tuna fishing is a major source of government revenue and economic growth in the Pacific Island countries. In 2007, a group of these countries introduced the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS), marking a shift from older access agreements to a more structured effort‐based management system. The VDS introduced tradeable fishing days as a mechanism to control effort and generate higher economic returns. Since its implementation, domestic tuna catches in VDS‐participating countries have shown notable increase. This study examines how the VDS affected tuna catches in 17 Pacific countries from 2000 to 2020. Using a Difference‐in‐Differences method, the results show that countries participating in the VDS increased their tuna catches by more than 200% compared to non‐VDS countries. These findings suggest that while the VDS has economic benefits, stronger conservation efforts are also needed to make sure tuna fishing remains sustainable in the future.