The Marshall Islands Fishing Story
Vinay Narsey is the newly elected President for Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation.
The story of how the Marshall Islands went from being a bystander in commercial fishing in the Pacific to operating the world’s busiest tuna transshipment port, two fish processing facilities, a purse seine vessel net repair yard, and a fleet of locally-flagged and -based fishing vessels is documented in a groundbreaking new book.
“Our Ocean’s Promise: From Aspirations to Inspirations - The Marshall Islands Fishing Story” is a 196-page overview of the Marshall Islands expanding engagement in the tuna fishery value chain.
The book documents how the Marshall Islands has benefited from purse seine fishery revenue rising from about $4 million annually to over $30 million a year since 2010 through the country’s participation in Parties to the Nauru Agreement’s (PNA’s) globally recognised conservation and management regime that ensures sustainable fishing as well as dramatically increasing the islands’ share of tuna revenue.
“I personally witnessed the transformation in Marshall Islands’ fisheries through the collective endeavors of the PNA grouping of countries that control most of the tuna that is taken in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean,” Dr Transform Aqorau, the founding PNA CEO, writes in a foreword to the new book.
“As host of the PNA Office, the Marshall Islands was instrumental in promoting the PNA purse seine Vessel Day Scheme, and was a vociferous advocate of the PNA initiatives.”
Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) director Glen Joseph conceived the idea for a book narrating the history of commercial fishing in this central Pacific nation.
A partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) provided necessary support for the work on the book that was researched and written by Giff Johnson, the long-time editor of the Marshall Islands Journal, the
weekly newspaper published in Majuro.
Joseph recognised the FFA for its key role in supporting MIMRA “to document our story in the region.”
About the book
While the book takes the reader on a journey that begins in the 1920s, it focuses on the period from the late 1970s - as the Marshall Islands was gaining its independence and beginning to engage in the tuna fishery as a sovereign nation - to the present day.
It features a forward look at MIMRA’s latest initiatives to participate in the many levels of the tuna value chain, well beyond the limited role it once played as a collector of license fees from distant water fishing nations.
“The ‘oceanscape’ in 2021 is unrecognisable from the 1970s, with numerous opportunities at MIMRA’s doorstep and the agency wellprepared to pursue those opportunities,” writes Johnson in Our Ocean’s Promise.
“Our interest goes back to our humble beginning, and that is the ocean’s promise, which is our heritage, culture, food security, economic opportunity and highway to global engagement,” said Joseph in a quote from the new book.
The book includes the first-ever detailed chronology of Marshall Islands and regional fisheries developments that catalogs the many challenges and roadblocks it and other independent Pacific islands faced as they worked to develop sovereign control first over their 200-mile exclusive economic zones, and more recently to implement the PNA’s Vessel Day Scheme in order to shift the paradigm of the commercial fishery to one of rightsbased management controlled by Pacific islands.
The launch
MIMRA will be launching the new publication with a formal book ceremony in Majuro on October 8 Marshall Islands President David Kabua is scheduled to keynote the launch event and FFA Director General Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen is expected to deliver a virtual message to the program.
The book is published by Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing and available at amazon.com
‘Having good ethics, integrity, staying true to the course should be at the core of your business model.’
The newly elected President for the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) wears many professional hats, and his humble nature means that not many would be aware of his accomplishments. He prefers to keep a low profile, focusing instead on supporting the sustainable growth of Fiji’s trade industry.
Mr Narsey has held a range of roles within FCEF for more than a decade.
He started off as a member in the Manufacturing Council, and made valuable contributions to the organisation. In his voluntary capacity over the years, he was elected Chairperson of the Manufacturing Council in 2016, and in 2018 he was voted in as Vice President.
He was unanimously elected President at the FCEF Annual General Meeting held in September this year.
Currently the Managing Director of Narseys Plastics Industries Pte Ltd, a packaging manufacturing plant based in Laucala Beach, Mr Narsey attributes his success to his father, and founder of the company, Jitendra Narsey.
His father’s wise words and visionary leadership have shaped his views of doing business in a challenging and ever-changing global environment.
A quote he calls to mind often, one he got from his father is “Hard work is the epitome of success.” Mr Narsey is a firm believer that having a mentor for professional growth is crucial, and for him, his father has been his stronghold.
An Old Boy of Marist Brothers High School, he continued studies at one of Australia’s best universities and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Monash University. He is an Affiliate of the Australian Institute of Management and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Actively involved in the FijiNew Zealand Business Council as President since 2018, he also is the Chair of the Trade and Standards Advisory Council (TSAC) in Fiji, a space where he sees opportunities for sustainable growth of trade in Fiji.
The new presidential role at FCEF:
FCEF is very close to his heart, as he has come through the ranks and gained a breadth of experience through the opportunities that all paid members have access to.
“Like any organisation you become a voluntary member of, you receive as much as, or in some instances, more than you contribute. The opportunities for skills development, networking and access to business insights are there for all members of FCEF, being the oldest private sector umbrella organisation in Fiji.”
He considers FCEF as an ideal platform to foster a united sense of belonging for all private sector companies in Fiji, regardless of their size and turnover.
“FCEF is responsible for supporting 10 councils under its mandate, ranging from the Young Entrepreneurs Council and the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council to larger councils which support larger institutions such as the banking and retail sectors.
“I am committed to supporting FCEF’s strategic vision of good governance and sustainable growth for all our members, and although that will be a challenge given the fluid changes due to the COVID pandemic, I am willing to work with all the members to ensure the processes we have, are realistic and workable.”
FCEF is scheduled to have its first board meeting for the new term next Thursday, and in the lead up to that, Mr Narsey has been engaged in discussions with former president, Sandeep Chauhan, and CEO of FCEF, Kameli Batiweti, to ensure the transition of leadership is fluid and to the benefit of its members.
“With so many changes in the business landscape during these trying times, the last thing we need
is a disruption to services FCEF provides to its members.
“Thankfully with the support of the FCEF Secretariat, digital platforms have been utilised to keep our members informed and engaged, with special consideration for COVID-safety regulations.
“Preparedness and business continuity comes from the experiences of facing challenges such as natural disasters and more recently, the global pandemic. This is a time when we all have to adapt to the changes, and be a part of the recognised processes for everyone’s benefit - both during good and bad times.”
Mr Narsey recognises that while it is important that all employers and small business owners are given equitable opportunities, FCEF members are bound by the organisation’s Articles of Association and he encourages all members to continue to engage the Board to ensure good governance.
COVID and Business:
Like most businesses, no level of preparedness spared their organisation from COVID-19.
With already existing constraints related to changes in manufacturing regulations, the business continued to serve its clientele.
He believes in leading from the front and was at the factory daily during the lockdown to lead his skeleton staff and to standby his staff - many of whom have been with the organisation for over 15 to 20 years.
“With over 250 staff employed on a full-time basis, we had to adjust. We faced constraints, and with the right mindset, we are continuing to adapt to the new normal. The sooner you accept the new normal, the sooner you get back to serving your clients, and supporting your staff. My staff are the reason we haven’t scaled back - we have aimed to keep as many staff on, to ensure they have a source of livelihood to support their families.”
His advice to budding
entrepreneurs:
“Having good ethics, integrity, staying true to the course should be at the core of your business model. As important as it is to do the hard work, you also need to work smarter if you want to get ahead. Being focused on the selfbelief that you can, and you will achieve your goals is more important now than ever, with the challenges we face.
“Surround yourself with peers or mentors that are able to guide you to opportunities that maximise your potential as an entrepreneur.”