SI WOULD FACE DIFFICULTIES TO SELL FISHING DAYS: FFA

FFA deputy director-general Wez Norris. Photo credit: fj.thetodaypost.com

It will be difficult for countries like Solomon Islands to seek permission from other fishing fleets to sell their number of fishing days, says the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Deputy Director-General Wez Norris.

Speaking to SIBC News Mr Norris explained that the agreement between the US Government and FFA last August was almost for 6,000 fishing days, but what they are saying now is they only need just over 4,000 fishing days.

“The agreement that we made last year was for almost 6,000 fishing days. What they are saying now is that they only need something just over 4,000 fishing days so it’s a very large number of days and it’s very difficult for countries like the Solomon Islands to now think about taking days back and going to other fleets and seeing whether they want to buy them.”

Mr Wez added, if they have had the discussion in August last year they would know how to deal with the issue.

“If we had have had this discussion in August last year probably it would have been okay to deal with because then the countries had from August until December to go out and to sell those days to other fleets, but now you know, the fishing year has started, most of the other fleets have bought the days that they want already so we’re really unsure whether the market will be able to absorb more days coming back on.”