Policing Fiji’s waters
IN its overall effort to minimise and eradicate illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), the Ministry of Fisheries and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have signed a FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).
The PSMA is the first binding international instrument specifically targeting IUU fishing and has garnered a high level of support at an international level.
FAO assistant representative in Fiji, Joann Young said the assistance under the project aimed at improving Fiji’s capability for the effective implementation of port state measures.
She said the PSMA outlines a minimum standard of measures that a country should implement in its role as a port state which were viewed as a cost-effective manner to combat IUU fishing.
“It includes provisions on the information to be collected prior to entry into port, guidance on inspections, exchange of information on inspections results and denials for entry into and use of port among others,” she said.
Ms Young said it would also complementary monitor, control and provide surveillance (MCS) operations, measures and tools to combat IUU fishing.
“The implementation of different program elements in each country depends on their state of advancement in the adoption and implementation of provisions and procedures consistent with the PSMA and complementary MCS operations and tools,” she said.
“Over the next few weeks, our fisheries team at FAO will be working with the Ministry of Fisheries to finalise the work plans and commence with the implementation of the prioritised activities.”
Ministry of Fisheries permanent secretary Pene Baleinabuli said the agreement proposes to build the capacity of the ministry’s staff and its stakeholders to be able to identify and detect ships or fishing vessels that have conducted IUU fishing.
“When we do that we have the options of apprehending them and have the option of not allowing their catches to land here,” he said.
He said they had also had talks with the Commander of the Fiji Navy on IUU fishing.
“As we know illegal fishing requires the policing of our waters. Fiji has 1.3 million square kilometres of EEZ so it’s important for us to be able to build our capacity to be able to manage our EEZ and to be able to police it.”
“The conversation with the Fiji Navy is collectively on the need to collaborate and share information and to invest in the capacity and capability of the Fiji Navy so we can be able to detect IUU fishing in our waters.”