23rd Annual Ministerial Forum Fisheries Meeting Underway in Honiara

By Sharon Nanau

The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting commenced in Honiara today.

All seventeen members of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) are present for the meeting this week.

Delivering the opening remarks, Acting Prime Minister Hon Bradley Tovosia said the region’s tuna fishery resource is now the focus of intense discussions and negotiations at the global level.

Hon Tovosia called on leaders and officials to ensure the tuna fishery resource is managed sustainably for the region’s future generations with innovative and collective efforts.

“The largest healthy stocks of tuna in the world are held in the pacific region, we must ensure the sustainable management of our tuna resources because the livelihoods of our Pacific peoples depend on this vast fishery resources and it is our collective responsibility to ensure our tuna fishery is managed for our current and future generations.”

Reflecting on the history and work that FFA carries out Hon Tovosia said FFA is a pacific cooperation success story.

“We must acknowledge the leaders of the past and present for the effective implementation of its roles and processes over the years.”

Hon Tovosia adds the ongoing work by the FFA Secretariat with members to build capacity and capability on MCS to reduce Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and enhancing market access to grow returns from tuna fishery for the region is of great importance.

“We must enhance our collective efforts to strengthen our tuna fisheries through the spirit of regionalism and being “Wantoks” to enhance opportunities for transformative development of our fishery for our people,”

Meanwhile, FFA Director General Dr. Manumatavai Tupou-Roosen said the meeting shows that the pacific region’s solidarity is the reason for the agency’s success over the years.

“Our gathering here this week is a strong reminder that our solidarity is the cornerstone to our success, it is a reminder that our solidarity honors the vison of our leaders to establish FFA and it is the only way that we can secure sustainable fisheries for our people.”

SIBC news understands about 85 percent of tuna catch from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean is caught within the exclusive economic zones of members of the Forum Fisheries Committee.

Ends//