Fiji, Dec. 7 -- The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Friday adopted a long-awaited management procedure for South Pacific albacore tuna, ending years of negotiation and clearing the way for the first harvest strategy for the species.

Members settled on Harvest Control Rule(HCR7),a compromise formula that Pacific states say will stabilise the fishery and major fleets say they can live with.

The decision came after days of tense discussion and last-minute compromises from key fishing nations. Chinese Taipei and China, two of the largest longline fleets in the region, dropped their preference for a higher-catch model to allow a consensus deal to go through.

WCPFC Chair Dr Josie Tamate declared the adoption a milest...