Byline: Bernadette Carreon-Brooks

US steps up in Pacific; launches coastal surveillance system

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Kayangel State, one of the sites of the coastal surveillance system. Photo: Richard Brooks

The United States is stepping up its presence in Palau to protect it from a range of threats like illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) with the official launch of the coastal surveillance system (CSS).

On Oct. 2, the United States Defense Department, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Palau government held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to announce that the CSS in outlying states of Kayangel and Angaur.

The CSS is to help Palau monitor maritime traffic and vessels’ presence in its EEZ especially with the nation about to close a huge portion of its waters to commercial fishing by January 1, 2020.

The CSS according to marine law enforcement can operate the system and see vessel movement and help the nation achieve maritime security and enhance capabilities to deal with threats at sea.

The systems were installed in Angaur and Kayangel and in the future in other Southwest Islands States where there have been numerous reports of IUU fishing in these areas.

Travis Scharamek, Academic Program Management Officer of Scripps said that Palau would be the first nation in the world to test the new surveillance system.  

The US, which funded the radar, will also install the system in three more sites in the Southwest Islands of Hatobei and Sonsorol States.

He said because of the distance of those states from Koror, where the marine law is, the system can help respond to issues faster.

Palau Vice President Raynold Oilouch said the system would help the country combat maritime security issues such as IUU and provide the needed technology to be able to monitor vessels of up to 75-mile radius.

Coinciding with the official launching of the CSS, the US deputy military commander for the Pacific, Army General John “Pete” Johnson said that the US is stepping up its involvement in the region to help deal with economic threats like illegal fishing.

Johnson was in Palau last week to attend the celebration of Palau’s 25th Independence Day on Oct. 1.

“We are committed to the defense of Palau in any aspect regardless of the threat,” Johnson said.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates IUU fishing accounts for up to 26 million tons of fish a year, translating to between $10 and $23 billion.

President Tommy Remengesau has earlier said that  “The Palau sanctuary law is more than a conservation policy. It also enhances our capabilities to combat pirate fishing,” IUU fishing is a global problem that requires global solutions,

Palau’s National Marine Sanctuary will cover an area encompassing 500,000 square kilometers and roughly 80 percent of the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The law takes effect in 2020 and, 80 percent of the country’s EEZ will still be a no-take zone, while 20 percent is designated as a domestic fishing zone.

Palau to get new patrol boat from Australia on June 2020

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Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. (left) Australia’s Ambassador to Palau , George Fraser and Maritime Surveillance Advisor, LCDR Clint Moore (right). Photo courtesy of the Office of the President Palau.

Palau is expected to receive a new patrol boat from Australia in June 2020 to replace PSS H.I. Remeliik.

In a press conference on October 2, President Tommy Remengesau Jr. announced that the PSS H.I. Remellik will be taken out of commission by February 2020 with the new boat coming in by June which will be named PSS Remeliik II.

Remengesau announced the replacement after showing the media a replica of the new boat.

A replica of the new patrol boat from Australia. Photo: Rhealyn Pojas

PSS Remeliik was donated by Australia 24 years ago and the new patrol boat will have a length of 139 feet, which is 35 ft longer than the 104 feet Remeliik.

The new boat can also take a crew of up to 25.

In February next year, PSS Remeliik will bid its goodbye to Palau to travel  to Australia.

The new patrol boat is estimated to cost around $20 million.

The new patrol vessel will join Japan donated PSS Kedam and two smaller boats to conduct maritime surveillance in Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Before PSS Kedam, Palau only has one patrol boat- PSS H.I Remeliik.

In earlier statements, Remenegsau said Kedam and Remeliik will help patrol its ocean and assist tackling the challenge of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

“We are one percent of land, and 99 percent ocean. And that means, we are indeed a large ocean state, and the ocean is everything to us. It is our food security, it is our economic security, it is our cultural and social security, for it is our way of life.”

Australia has been delivering patrol boats to other Pacific Island Countries. Other recipients include Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa, Vanuatu, FSM, the Marshall Islands, and Cook Islands.

Australia is also complementing its patrol boat program with aerial surveillance service which is part of the    Australian Government Department of Defence’s $2 billion Pacific Maritime Security Program.

The program will be in conjunction with the Pacific Patrol Boat program.  Palau and FSM are among the 12 nations in the Pacific that are part of the program. The other nations are Papua New Guinea, Fiji,  Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands,  Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Small-scale tuna canning training in Palau starts next week

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Tuna canning process.
Photo supplied by Palau’s MRNET.

Palau’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Tourism (MNRET) have attracted at least 20 participants in a tuna canning training to take place Sept. 22 to 27.  The training will be hosted by the Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR) and led by FoodStream Inc Australia.

Earlier, MNRET has requested the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) to provide tuna canning training for small and medium enterprises (SME) in Palau citing that as the nation gets ready for the full implementation of a national marine sanctuary by January 1, 2020.

“As we are preparing for full implementation of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), a central aspect of our focus is to build capacity and options for a domestic pelagic fishery. This includes approaches to improve the business feasibility of small-scale, locally-owned and operated vessels and businesses,” MNRET Minister Umiich Sengebau said in a June letter to   Maurice BrownjohnCommercial Manager of PNA Office.

Sengebau said Palau is also looking into options to promote “Palau to the tourism market through its conservation approach to sustainable pelagic fisheries, through such initiatives as the Choose Pelagics Presidential directive.”

He said Palau is also exploring the potential promotion of Palau’s FADs-free zone through Pacifical, and “through unique, locally produced souvenir jars and cans, or ‘Fish With A Story’

He said micro canning will help improve food security and provide employment and business opportunities for Palauans at the same time, providing tuna canning training for small and medium enterprises (SME) in Palau.

“The training is aimed at individuals who intend to produce canned foods on the micro or small commercial scale. Participants will learn how to preserve tuna and other pelagic fish, as well as other seafood, meats, fruits, and vegetables,” MNRET public announcement said last month.

The 5-day training will be delivered through lectures, tutorials, group discussions, and practical sessions. Topics covered include Introduction to Canning; Pre-cooking Tuna in Commercial Operations; Retort Systems and Container Handling; Packaging Systems for Processed Foods; Microbiology of Canned Foods; Principles of Thermal Processing; Retort Operation & Production Records; Water Chlorination and Canning Sanitation; and Regulations relevant to Thermal Processing.

Participants who successfully complete the whole week of training and pass all exams will be issued a Retort Supervisor’s Certificate.

The five-day training is looking for participants who can commit to the full week and pass written exams and a practical exam. The course requires high school-level Math and English skills.

 Australia-based company FoodStream has conducted tuna processing training in Fiji and Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Microcanning in the Pacific started four years ago, Brownjohn said. He said there are volumes of “by-catch,” from tuna fishery although not suitable for large commercial exports but can still be perfect to eat and can be canned locally. He said jars could also be utilized to preserve food.

He said the training provided by FoodStream is the same qualification as you were trained in a reputable cannery in Thailand or somewhere else.

He said in Palau, small scale canning is also a way to attract tourism.

With tuna canning operation, “you are able to produce a shelf-stable product made in  Palau,” Brownjohn said.

“Palau is able to offer a jar, a fish, and a story behind it.”

Australia’s Pacific Fusion Centre to target threats of illegal fishing in the Pacific

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Palau’s patrol boat PSS Remeliik apprehends two Vietnamese Blue Boats found anchored in Helen Reef, an area located at the southernmost part of Palau. (Photo by Richard Brooks)

Two small island nations in the North Pacific are requesting the Australian government to host the upcoming Pacific Fusion Centre, which can assist North Pacific, and other Pacific island nations with the information they need to better identify and respond to security threats such as illegal fishing.

The Pacific Fusion Centre was announced in September 2018 by the Australian government to assist with security threats including drugs, illegal fishing, and people smuggling.

Palau and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) would want the Centre located in their nations or at least in the North Pacific.

In a press statement in May, FSM President David W. Panuelo received George Fraser, ambassador of Australia and asked if the FSM could be the host for the upcoming Pacific Fusion Centre.

“The North Pacific needs more exposure [compared to the South Pacific],” said President Panuelo.

He said FSM’s commitment to the Technology for Tuna Transparency or T3 Challenge would be able to get help from the center.

The T3 Challenge seeks to acquire 100 percent transparency in its tuna fisheries by 2023.

Meanwhile, Palau made the same request with the visiting Australian officials on June 24.

Ms. Sophie Fisher of the Pacific Strategy Division of Australian Department of Foreign Affairs paid a courtesy call with the Vice President and Minister of Justice, Raynold Oilouch .

The Centre will facilitate sharing/exchange of information on transnational crimes and illegal fishing activities within the Pacific.

The Pacific will be equipped technologically and manned with properly trained people to analyse and interpret surveillance data and advice PIF countries to respond properly.

Earnest Ongidobel, Oilouch’s Chief of Staff, says the request also amplifies the wishes of North Pacific countries for Australia to give more focus to this side of the Pacific.

He added that the Centre would also complement the existing assistance it already receives from various allies in its surveillance efforts in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), especially as it closes 80 percent of its EEZ in commercial fishing by 2020.

Australia has not announced a location but has said it will be established in the middle of this year.

A statement from the Australian Embassy in Pohnpei said that: “Australia is working with regional partners to establish a Pacific Fusion Centre to strengthen the ability of Pacific governments to enforce their laws and protect their sovereignty.”

It said that as part of the pilot phase, an interim Centre will be established in Canberra in mid-2019 to “test the product and build regional analytical capacity ahead of the Centre’s establishment in a Pacific island country in 2020.”

The statement added that the Centre is also aligned with the vision of the Boe Declaration signed by the Pacific leaders and Australia in 2018 to address security challenges in the region including illegal fishing, people smuggling and drug trafficking. 

The embassy also noted that a regional Reference Group will provide guidance and advice on the design, establishment, and operationalisation of the Pacific Fusion Centre. The Group will include representation from Pacific countries, regional security organisations, Australia and New Zealand.

US Coast Guard beefs up effort to protect Pacific fisheries

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US Coast Guard cutter Stratton sails in the Pacific (Photo: USCGC Stratton WMSL 752)

The United States Coast Guard will partner with Pacific countries and nations in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean to help them protect their fisheries, the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area said last week.

Vice-Admiral Linda Fagan said by teleconference call that curbing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing was part of the work the US Coast Guard was conducting in the Pacific. 

The Coast Guard cutter Stratton was deployed this month. It will be in the Western Pacific for months, in support of the US Indo–Pacific Command, which oversees military operations in the region.

She says the engagement of the Stratton in the Pacific will be in line with Pacific priorities to beef up fisheries enforcement.

“All these programs and all this engagement really highlight our continued commitment to the region, and our belief in the strength and depth of partnerships and engagements for mutual benefit,” Vice-Admiral Fagan says. 

The US Coast Guard deployment is complemented by the bilateral shiprider agreements it has with Pacific nations, she says. (Shiprider agreements allow law enforcement officers of Pacific Island countries with an agreement to carry out their duty to stop illegal activity in their exclusive economic zone while “riding” a US Coast Guard ship. The agreements expand the island nation’s capacity to conduct enforcement.) 

“We have bilateral shiprider agreements with over 11 countries. We recently hosted the first-ever US–Pacific Islands fisheries law-enforcement symposium in Honolulu. We also participate in the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, and under that forum, we do the North Pacific Guard, which is a specific regional fisheries enforcement activity,” Vice-Admiral Fagan says.

In the Western and Central Pacific, the US has shiprider agreements with the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and Fiji. Agreements with Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are also in the works.

“These bilaterals are examples of how we’ve got a ship and a platform, but not the authority to enforce the laws in another nation’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). But we bring an individual that’s got that authority and help them enforce their sovereignty in their EEZ,” she says.

Vice-Admiral Fagan says that, in May, the US Coast Guard, in partnership with Embassy Koror (the US embassy in Palau) and the US Department of the Interior, provided aids to navigation, and infrastructure improvements in the waters of Palau to support maritime safety and security. 

“The US is a Pacific nation, and the Coast Guard has been operating in the Pacific for over 150 years,” she says. 

“We have developed long-standing partnerships with nations in the region, and we share a strong commitment to a free and open Indo-[Pacific] governed by a rules-based international system that promotes peace, security, prosperity, and the sovereignty of all nations.”

The US, Palau, Marshall Islands, and Micronesia made commitments to work together to fight IUU fishing at a historic meeting on 21 May. The presidents of the four nations – Mr Donald Trump of the US, Ms Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands, Mr David Panuelo of FSM, and Mr Tommy Remengesay Jr of Palau – agreed that one of the region’s most pressing problems is IUU. 

Pacific students take part in tuna diplomacy program

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Yellowfin tuna (Photo: WWF)

Sixteen students and three mentors are in the United States to engage in programs aimed at technology for managing sustainable fisheries, and monitoring and protecting fisheries resources.

The students are all from the Freely Associated States of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Marshall Islands.

Tuna Diplomacy Youth Leaders, (from right to left) Oreall, Elwais, Arianne, Mirang, and Caitlyn heads to Oregon to begin their 3 weeks Journey of Discovery for Sustainable Fisheries sponsored by the US State Department and US Embassy Palau (Photo: US Embassy Koror Facebook Page)

This is the first Freely Associated States Tuna Diplomacy Youth Leadership Program and it aims at” fostering regional cooperation among rising young leaders, and reinforcing the partnership of the United States with the countries of Micronesia to create shared prosperity for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” according to a statement from the US Embassy in Koror.

The three-week program, which started on June 7, is taking place in Oregon and is funded by the US State Department.

“The FAS leaders are preparing a future investment for their countries but it will be the young leaders of tomorrow who will see those efforts maximised and enforced. Now is the time for asking the future leaders of the FAS, What’s Next,” the statement added.

The tuna diplomacy program will arm the students with skills, motivation, and support as they discuss the long term sustainable management of their marine resources.

The US Embassy said a follow-on exchange program will take place, three or six months after the US program. It will focus on sustainable marine resource management, which will present at the Our Oceans 2020 Conference in Palau.

The students selected are high school juniors and seniors.  The program also includes students from the US to build important leadership skills and help save the oceans.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kolonia said tuna is a shared common resource among the FAS countries.

In Palau, tuna provides local food security and helps keep the pressure off its coastal fisheries. On May 1, President Tommy Remengesau Jr. signed a presidential directive calling for a “national commitment to reduce pressure on the reef, promote locally produced foods, prioritise human wellness and healthful nutrition”.

For FSM and Marshall Islands, fisheries are the nations’ top economic driver.


New changes coming to Palau’s national marine sanctuary law

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Photo of the proposed area of the new domestic fishing zone of Palau. Photo courtesy of Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC).

Proposed amendments to the Palau National Marine Sanctuary Act (PNMS) to lift the export ban on pelagic fish and create a corridor to the high seas as the new boundary for the 20 percent Domestic Fishing Zone (DFZ) will be signed into law today (June 12).

The bill seeks to allow commercial exports of fish within the DFZ for its economic “vital revenue” from foreign fishing license fees and for Palau to also earn revenue from fish caught inside and exported from the domestic fishing zone.

It will also allow fish caught with long-line fishing to be exported commercially. In the current PNMS law, the DFZ only allows exports of fish caught by free school purse-seining.

The amendments also redefined the new boundaries of the domestic fishing zone have been reoriented splitting the adjacent 80% of the PNMS and allowing a corridor extending into the high seas.

The high seas corridor, the lawmakers said will allow local fishermen to have access to the fish. 

The corridor – boundaries start at 24-miles from the baseline where the exclusive economic zone is measured and encircles Ngeruangel, Kayangel, Babeldaob, Koror, Peleliu, Angaur and stretches outward from points to the north of Ngeruangel and the south of Angaur into the high seas in the west.

The bill further proposes to allow long-line fishing activity within the domestic fishing zone.

Senate Bill No. 10-157, SD1 has been transmitted to the House of Delegates after the Senate approval on June 3.

Expedited approval by the House of Delegates, and hence OEK passage, is expected as the amendments were the result of consultations between the president’s office and both OEK houses.

The lawmakers are seeking to allow commercial exports of fish within the DFZ for its economic “vital revenue” from foreign fishing license fees and for Palau to also earn revenue from fish caught inside and exported from the domestic fishing zone.

It will allow fish caught with long-line fishing to be exported commercially. Currently, the domestic fishing zone allows exports only on free school purse-seining.

The new boundaries of the domestic fishing zone have been reoriented splitting the contiguous 80% of the PNMS no-take zone and allowing a corridor extending into the high seas. The corridor – boundaries start at 24-miles from the baseline where the exclusive economic zone is measured and encircles Ngeruangel, Kayangel, Babeldaob, Koror, Peleliu, Angaur and stretches outward from points to the north of Ngeruangel and the south of Angaur into the high seas in the west.

The 80 percent of Palau’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will still be a no-take zone but the designated domestic fishing zone will not be economically viable if it prohibits exports of the fish caught in the area.

The 24-mile baseline, meanwhile it will also allow the pole-and-line fishing operations to fish much closer to home instead of moving beyond the 50-mile radius.

The government said the amendments also in consultation with Japan who has made a request on behalf of small scale fishermen from Okinawa who traditionally fish down south into Palau’s exclusive economic zones.

All fish caught in the zone will have to be landed on Palau, but the fisheries minister can give exemptions to landing obligations.

The expected changes to the law are being introduced before the PNMS takes effect on January 1, 2020.

PNA member countries will now have access to Tokelau’s waters

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Photo: Francisco Blaha.

Tokelau and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) member countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at last week’s meeting of PNA Ministers in Palau that allows the South Pacific territory to join the FSM Arrangement(FSMA), an agreement which allows parties domestic vessels who are licensed under the arrangement,  to access the fishing resources of other parties.

Tokelau is the latest participants, joining other signatories (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau,  Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands).

Under the MOU, a framework for the participation of Tokelau in the FSMA will be established. The arrangement also enables holders of Regional Access Licenses under the FSMA to fish in Tokelau’s exclusive economic zone and it also ensures license holders fishing in Tokelau fisheries waters complies with applicable national laws of Tokelau.

Tokelau will allow all purse seine vessels licensed to fish in the Arrangement Area under the FSMA to access its exclusive economic zone.

As a participant to the FSMA, Tokelau may participate in the Annual Meeting and any Special Meeting of the Parties to the FSMA and may participate in the decision making but Tokelau will have no voting right in the process.

 The arrangement will take effect on July 1, 2019.

PNA CEO Ludwig Komoru said the signing of the MOU with Tokelau is a “very important step” which means in that the countries in the FSMA arrangement can now go to Tokelau waters to fish.” Giving both Tokelau and PNA countries “extra area to fish and extra revenues, so it’s a win-win.”

Tokelau is made up of three small coral atolls – Atafu, Fakaofo and Nukunonu.

Tokelau has an  EEZ covering 318,990 square kilometers.

Tokelau does not have a commercial fishing fleet however, it has a large artisanal fleet of about 50 – 60 small 12’ to 16’ ft. motorized aluminum boats.

In 2012, Tokelau joined the PNA’s vessel day scheme, the country’s main industry is fishing.

On May 29-30, 2019, Fisheries Ministers from PNA convened in  Koror, Palau for their 14th annual meeting.

During the meeting, fisheries ministers also considered several important issues at this meeting, such as the PNA Office budget, PNA’s Strategic Plan, the 2020 Party Allowable Effort (PAE), an independent Chair for the PNA Compliance Committee, the purchase of Fisheries Information Management System (FIMS) from Quick Access, high seas bunkering, Vanuatu’s request to join PNA’s Longline (LL) Vessel Day Scheme (VDS),  

Tokelau is also a participant at these meetings as a party to the Palau Arrangement (PA), which is the management arrangement for the purse seine fishery.  

Trump administration to work together with Palau, FSM, and RMI to combat IUU fishing

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Donald Trump poses with the presidents of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States. Photo by US Department of Interior.

The United States, Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have made commitments to work together to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

In a historic meeting with US President Donald Trump on May 21st, Presidents of the Marshall Islands, Hilda Heine, FSM ‘s David Panuelo and Palau’s Tommy Remengesau Jr., the four nations agreed that one of the region’s most pressing issue is IUU.

In a joint statement following the meeting the leaders stated, “we resolve to continue develop joint initiatives, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums, such as the Pacific Islands Forum, to tackle the region’s most pressing issues, including responding to natural disasters; combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; advancing economic development; strengthening the rule of law; and supporting the resiliency of the Pacific islands environment.”

President Heine said during the talks in Washington that her country deals with illegal ship entries, supposedly for fishing all the time.

Aa press briefing by US administration officials on May 20 said illegal fishing is one of the security concerns in the Pacific region.

“President Trump is really looking forward to discussing our shared security concerns, and that includes things like countering illegal and unregulated and underreported fishing; it includes addressing transnational crime and trafficking; and of course, the protection of all the nation’s sovereignty as part of the free and open Indo-Pacific,” the officials told reporters.

Although the joint statement between Trump and the FAS leaders did not mention climate change, officials said that the US will be assisting all the Pacific Island nations in strengthening their resilience against natural disasters, rising sea levels, soil erosion, invasive species, and more.”

US Acting Secretary of Defence, Patrick Shanahan, in his meeting with the leaders reiterated the United States commitment to “working with you to address common security challenges such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

A report on the impact of IUU fishing prepared for the Forum Fisheries Agency in 2016 catch associated with illegal fishing is valued over $US600 million annually, with the direct economic loss to FFA members of around US$150 million.

Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) CEO Ludwig Kumoru last year said eliminating IUU fishing is a core part of the fisheries management work.

 “Working together to eliminate IUU will enhance sustainable and economically viable fisheries for the benefit of everyone,” he said.

The FFA and PNA are calling for the support of Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs), to eliminate IUU fishing.

“We want them on board and to understand this is a collective effort of the FFA and PNA to implement a best practice strategy to effectively track and hold offenders accountable,” said Dr. Manu Tupou-Roosen, Director General of the FFA.

In February this year, Micronesian nations that include Palau, RMI and FSM committed to uniting to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) in the Pacific by 2023. in the Pacific.

At the 19th Micronesia Presidents’ Summit on 21 February, Palau, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Nauru signed a communique supporting an IUU Free Pacific by 2023 – a challenge was set up by RMI.

“It is important to build on the momentum we have at the national and regional level to combat IUU and to give it a goal or a target if you will. Imagine an IUU Free Pacific by 2023,” RMI President Hilda Heine said during the summit in Palau.

Palau targets tuna for food security

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Palau’s president is calling for more domestic consumption of tuna. Tuna caught in Palau being offloaded. (Photo: Richard Brooks)

Palau is highlighting the importance of tuna to local food security and to help keep the pressure off its coastal fisheries.

On May 1, President Tommy Remengesau Jr. signed a presidential directive calling for a “national commitment to reduce pressure on the reef, promote locally produced foods, prioritise human wellness and healthful nutrition”.

This is to be done by supporting a local pelagic fishery by serving pelagic fish like tuna at all government food service systems and at government and quasi-government events and functions.

In this tiny Pacific nation, where non-communicable diseases are high and gravely impact the health of the people, Remengesau said there is a need to enable the domestic market to increase local access to fish to improve nutrition.

The president said Palau is experiencing high rates of obesity (46.2%), overweight (30.8%), raised total cholesterol (25.8%), diabetes (20.4%), and other non-communicable diseases because of the preference to  consume imported meats and canned foods that are “cheap and nutritionally poor.”

He said tuna will help fill in the gap for a need to go back to traditional foods such as root crops and fish.

Reef fish in Palau is on the brink of being overfished and since studies have shown that tuna and tuna-like pelagic fish species are more resilient to fishing pressure due to their higher productivity and more extensive stocks, his government will set an example by choosing pelagics.

“Tuna means livelihood, economic security for Palau. We want to eat high-grade tuna and not rejects,” Remengesau said. 

Palau is sustaining key tuna species by closing almost 500,000 square kilometres of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to commercial fishing while increasing the amount of tuna allocated to consumption on the island.

Twenty percent of the EEZ is designated as a domestic fishing zone. Remengesau said Palau do not want to be left with tuna of lesser value but consume fish of higher-grade value.

The directive supports the local organisation, Palau Conservation Society’s (PCS) program ‘Choose Pelagics,’ which the president said is “a collaborative and cross-sectoral effort aimed at creating incentives to promote the development of a sustainable domestic pelagic fishery.”

Fabio Siksei, Program Coordinator of the PCS’ conservation and protected areas program said that based on their monitoring, restaurants in Palau mostly serve reef fish

“We try to create a market shift, try to shift that to pelagic,” Siksei said in an interview.

The program along with the Bureau of Marine Resources ongoing nationwide program for anchored fishing aggregating device (FADs) is supporting the artisan fisheries and addressing challenges faced by small scale fishermen.

“Palau continues to work with its local, regional, and international partners to develop alternative pelagic fisheries to support fishing livelihoods and food security through the expansion of a nationwide anchored FADs Network to help improve the feasibility of small-scale pelagic fishing,” Remengesau stated.

Last year, a study conducted by Nippon Foundation-UBC Nereus Program already brought to light the pressure that reefs are already experiencing. The study suggested that Palauans and tourists should eat fewer reef fish and recommended a policy that would  require reductions in fish consumption by both resident Palauans and visitors.

The study suggested that there should be a shift from “seafood consumption to open water fish, such as sustainably-harvested tuna, instead of reef fishes such as grouper, snapper, and parrotfish.”