Consistent, Sufficient Supply of Tuna Remains a Challenge
Relevant stakeholders are encouraged to pursue all avenues to assist PAFCO
Upon scrutiny of the Pacific Fishing Company (PAFCO) Annual Report of 2015 the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs noted with interest that consistent and sufficient supply of tuna remains a challenge for PAFCO.
Chair of the committee Lorna Eden said relevant stakeholders were encouraged to pursue all avenues to assist PAFCO with this issue. One possibility being membership options for Fiji in becoming a party to the ‘Nauru Agreement’ which controls the vast majority of available stock in the region. Another avenue would be to re-visit dialogue with our neighbor Kiribati, that is renowned for its fish stocks.
Talks with Kiribati were initiated back in 2010 with the aim to benefit PAFCO and in return enable Kiribati to benefit from PAFCO’s expertise. “Other challenges faced by PAFCO are wharf and port handling fees,” she said. “The Committee urges PAFCO to enter into dialogue with the relevant authorities to seek concessions in these areas given the socio-economic benefits provided by PAFCO to the people of Lomaiviti. “Approximately one thousand people are employed by PAFCO depending on the season and catch supply, making them the largest sole employer in this area of Fiji.” The committee was pleased to note that PAFCO has recently renewed its agreement with Bumble Bee Foods, LLC (Bumble Bee) for a further 10 years.
“This is a positive move for the future of PAFCO that relies heavily on its relationship with Bumble Bee and the committee recommends that this relationship be nurtured.”