Pacific states urged to take more control over tuna resources

Caption Pic: Elisala Pita speaking to PIF leaders.




By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, September 13, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)




THAT was the recommendation conveyed by Natural Resources Minister of Tuvalu, Elisala Pita, as Chairman of Ministerial Forum Fisheries Committee at the 46th Pacific Islands Forum during the week.

He made his remarks when presenting recommendations made and the documents for the Future of Fisheries Roadmap and Report Cards for Coastal and Tuna Fisheries.

Fisheries being one of five main agendas at the 46th forum- Pita said that the fisheries roadmap is the outcome of thorough consultation process over the past year led by the Forum Fisheries Agency and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

“Each of the goals and strategies has been discussed by experts, considered by a broad cross-section of stakeholders, reviewed by national fisheries officials and agreed by Fisheries Ministers,” the chairman said.

“Very importantly, the Roadmap has associated report cards that would be submitted to you each year in order to track progress in its implementation. We must do more than just talk; we must challenge ourselves and set clear benchmarks to measure progress achieved.”

“In tuna fisheries, we need to take control through management systems that give rights to our countries and not foreign fleets – this will give us new opportunities for economic development.”

He said that while there had been notable successes in the management and development of regional fisheries, Pacific island countries and their people are still not deriving the economic benefits from their huge tuna resources.

“Most of our tuna is still being caught by foreign vessels, and 90% is taken out of the region for processing,” Pita told the leaders.

“Your Fisheries Ministers are now seeking your support to change the way we do business in order to stop missing opportunities. Most importantly, for this first Leaders’ meeting under the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, we believe that we need to work together as a region in order to do this.”

“Our tuna fisheries are a large and valuable resource, and the roadmap establishes clear goals for sustainably managing the key species; increasing the value of the catch; doubling employment in the tuna industry; and increasing the contribution of tuna to food security.”

Pita highlighted that the strategy goals required support from leaders for cooperative regional arrangements and a full government approach at national levels.

“We need to firmly establish control of the fisheries through systems of zone-based rights. The PNA (Parties to Nauru Agreement) VDS (Vessel Day Scheme) has shown the gains in access fee revenue that such an approach can achieve, but we now need to look for ways to grow those returns even further and to reform longline fisheries in the same way.”

“Our national resources are threatened by a growing and poorly regulated fishery on the high seas – we need to rein this in.”

“We will drive employment growth by requiring domestic and foreign vessels to employ Pacific Island crew and observers. To increase economic returns and onshore employment, we will continue to promote onshore processing, including with the development of processing hubs in favourable locations. High employment standards will be enforced we must not provide our nationals as ‘slave labour’.”