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Tag: Tokelau

Fisheries officials the key to unlock the Pacific’s multi-billion-dollar potential

Categories FeaturesPosted on 1 February 2021
Fisheries officials the key to unlock the Pacific’s multi-billion-dollar potential
Atafu, the northernmost atoll of the Tokelau group. It is 3.6 square kilometres of land in the middle of the world’s largest and busiest tropical tuna highway. Photo: Andrew Mata’utia.
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The Pacific Ocean is vast.

It is so big you can fit not one, not two, but five of Earth’s moons inside it and have room left over. If that doesn’t sound impressive, then how about fitting the whole of the planet Mars in it and having 20 million square kilometres of room spare?

Spread throughout this planet-size swimming pool are some 25,000 small and isolated islands, mostly in its western and central region. And teeming within their many millions of square metres of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) are the commercially important tropical species of tuna that feed a large portion of the world. 

Three of these islands are the atolls of Fakaofo, Nukunonu and Atafu that make up the Tokelau group. Together, they add up to 12 square kilometres of land – a miniscule string of pearls adorning Tokelau’s 318,000 square kilometre EEZ. 

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread to all corners of the world, only a handful of countries managed to stay COVID-free. Tokelau was one of them. For most of the countries that remained free of the disease in 2020, that fragile status is being maintained at crippling economic and social costs. The lucrative tourism sectors of the small nation’s Pacific cousins of Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, and Tonga were decimated. It has made their fisheries revenue that much more valuable. 

Enoka Puni with myself and Vase Reupena enjoying a bounty of skipjack tuna caught only a few metres from Atafu’s reef in April 2018. Photo: Litara Reupena.

Tokelau is an exception

But Tokelau is the exception. 

Its domestic economy does not rely on tourism. Instead, an estimated 80% comes from fisheries revenue alone. With their fisheries income mostly unaffected by COVID-19 so far, the people of Tokelau have been living in pre-pandemic normal since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic on 11 March 2020. 

Yes, there are small doses of pandemic reality: COVID-19 drills in the three atolls, construction of managed isolation facilities, border controls, disruptions to the supply chain, and citizens repatriated – but they are small morsels of the enormous realities outside 318,000 square kilometre moat. 

There is one reality that Tokelau shares with the outside world: that the commercial performance of the Pacific fisheries has been largely unaffected by COVID-19. With time, it has become clear that this reality has not happened by luck or in a vacuum. It is the culmination of years of hard work and a special working relationship, trust even, among its group of Pacific island officials, select fisheries experts, and their networks of partners. 

Pacific fisheries officials and their collaborating partners at the annual MCS Working Group meeting at FFA headquarters, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 2017. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
Pacific fisheries officials and their collaborating partners at the annual MCS Working Group meeting at FFA headquarters, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 2017. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.

One of these groups is the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), which is made up of eight Pacific island nations and Tokelau, who, under their cooperative arrangement, manage the largest tropical tuna fishery in the world. Working in conjunction with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and various other partners, they have somehow kept tuna stocks in their waters in healthy numbers while increasing revenues. (Revenue from tuna fishing grew from around US$60 million in 2010 to US$500 million in 2018.)

The secret to success, according to former PNA CEO, Mr Transform Aqorau, is relationships. In a 2016 statement, he said: “The secret lies in the close friendships and relationships that exist amongst your officials. These are not just friendships borne out of a common bond by the work we do, but transcend to our families and siblings in some cases. These friendships have allowed us to work together even where we disagree with each other. We still value each other’s company and still share a meal and drink at the end of the day.”

One individual who has been part of that group since 2010 is Tokelau’s fisheries adviser, Mr Stan Crothers. 

In this writer’s mind, Stan symbolises the hard-nosed yet unconditional love that fisheries officials have. They have dedicated themselves to claiming as much of the benefits rightly due from the region’s fishery to local people and their future generations.

With Stan’s involvement, Tokelau was accepted into the PNA’s Vessel Day Scheme in 2012. The immediate impact of that association saw the annual fisheries revenue increase by 100%, from NZ$2.7 million to NZ$5.5 million in 2013. The revenue continued its upward growth, from 2016 plateauing at around NZ$20 million a year. In 2019, its NZ$21.6 million contribution made up 77% of the total domestic economy, up from 27% in 2010.

Table showing increase in revenue for Tokelau tuna fisheries from 2010 to 2019 after Tokelau began to take part in PNA's Vessel Day Scheme in 2012.

Stan, like many of his fisheries compatriots, prefers effort and results to do his talking. 

At the 2017 WCPFC meeting, Stan and Tokelau played a crucial role that helped pass the bridging Tropical Tuna Measure, averting what would have been a historic collapse at a Tuna Commission negotiations. (This is the situation that occurred at the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission in 2020.)

But it means that most of the citizens of countries like Tokelau, who now enjoy a more equitable economic share of revenues from their fisheries, have no idea of who has achieved this result or of the amount of work involved. 

The reality is there’s a tuna war taking place. It’s a hugely complex battlefield requiring combatants with specialised skills and technical acumen, with a good and agile grasp of political brinkmanship. In this field, tiny countries such as Tokelau, which do not yet have the human capability and resources for these types of soldiers and generals, could be expected to be reaping NZ$2-$3 million a year in tuna revenue. Instead, the island has earned NZ$20 million a year for the past four years.

Stan has been – and continues to be – the key that unlocked Tokelau’s multi-million dollar potential in fisheries. And with his work with the PNA, FFA and other fisheries partners, he has helped extend similar benefits to other Pacific island countries and territories. 

  • Stan Crothers (left) and Fleet Tulafono, Tokelau's Director of Fisheries. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
    Stan Crothers and Feleti Tulafono, Tokelau’s Director of Fisheries, were critical in getting the Bridging Tropical Tuna Measure over the line at the 2017 Tuna Commission meeting. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
  • Feleti Tulafono provides technical advice to the Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Mose Pelasio, at the Tokelau Legislative Assembly meeting in Fakaofo, March 2018. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
    Feleti Tulafono provides technical advice to the Minister of Fisheries, Hon. Mose Pelasio, at the Tokelau Legislative Assembly meeting in Fakaofo, March 2018. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.

And here’s the rub: All of Stan’s efforts for Tokelau and for other parties have been provided on a largely pro bono basis for the public good. 

But perhaps the magnitude of even the vast Pacific Ocean is not large enough a symbol for the value and heart of fisheries workers. For it is they who make the difference. Day in, day out, they go to battle with the aims to sustainably manage the fisheries, to negotiate fair and equitable benefits for the Pacific people who own these resources. 

Their work has so far made fisheries one of the few sectors in the world to successfully hold off the devastation of the still uncontrollable SARS-CoV-2 virus.

It is really hard work. And many in the public arena just do not know about it. 

In an interview shortly after the latest Tuna Commission meeting in December 2020 (WCPFC17), Stan said, “I think I’ve had a total of around three work days over the past six months where I haven’t been on Zoom meetings to do with fisheries. 

“So, I’m shot. But hey, I think a couple of weeks without Zoom meetings to get my eyes rested and we’ll be ready to go again in 2021.”

It is important that we acknowledge this line of work in the modern era – one that reaches back to foundational giants in Ambassador Satya N. Nandan of Fiji, Elisala Pita of Tuvalu, and countless others. To do so, following is a light-hearted version of a story on Stan and Tokelau that I wrote for the Nukunonu newspaper, Te Ulugā Talafau. It was published in August 2020.

Grant Thomas and the Tokelau child with the million-dollar smile 

Before COVID-19 changed the world, the new decade in New Zealand and Tokelau was heralded by the publication of the 2020 Queen’s New Year Honours List in January. Among the awardees was one Mr Grant Thomas Crothers, who became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) by way of services rendered to Tokelau and the fishing industry. 

The citation stated that Grant Thomas was the “Deputy Chief Executive and Acting Chief Executive of the Ministry of Fisheries in New Zealand. Upon retirement, he began pro bono work in the Pacific Islands to ensure small island countries could reap sustainable outcomes from their fisheries resources. 

“In 2009–2010 he started working with and advising the Parties to the Nauru Fishing Agreement (PNA) and Tokelau. He played a key role in helping to develop the Tokelau Fisheries Policy, a document that was formed through extensive consultation with the Tokelau community, which enabled Tokelau to join the PNA.”

At about this point, there will be a lot of confused people in Tokelau, with many asking, “What is this? Who is Grant Thomas?” 

And that is because Grant Thomas is an alias that stands for “Stan”. So when the name Stan Crothers is called out loud, not only will Tokelauans immediately say, “Oh, our Stan?” but virtually the entire international fisheries sector right down to the little children on outboard boats skimming the lagoon stretch between Fakaofo’s Fale and Tai islets will also go, “That’s our Stan.”  

But more than just a popular personality with a few choice words, Stan has shaped Tokelau’s fisheries sector from a six-figure annual revenue stream in 2011 to an eight-figure boon starting in 2016.  

Stan’s “input has helped grow the Tokelau fisheries sector from just under NZ$1 million per year to NZ$20 million annually” in less than a decade. These funds make up approximately 80% of Tokelau’s domestic revenue, and have allowed the New Zealand territory to improve its infrastructure, build hospitals, boost education outcomes and make other gains. The one smidgeon of regret for Stan, though, is that not one cent of the fisheries revenue has gone into building up Tokelau’s Trust Fund that currently sits just below NZ$100 million. 

Sunrise over the Fakaofo lagoon, Tokelau, November 2018. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
Sunrise over the Fakaofo lagoon, Tokelau, November 2018, viewed from the front of the Sakava residence, the place where Stan Crothers mulled over a decision about Tokelau’s fisheries back in 2010. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.

But how did a sought-after expert come to swap lucrative consultancy work with international institutes to volunteer his time and efforts for Tokelau some 10 years ago? 

The Hollywood drama-style answer is revealed at the end of this article. But first, a window into some of the quirks and characteristics of this highly reserved individual, which are best garnered from comments by those who work closely with him. 

Dr Manumatavai Tupou-Roosen, Director-General, FFA

“Having experienced first-hand the significant contribution that Stan makes to our fisheries work, I was delighted that he is to be awarded this honour of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Stan’s contribution to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), particularly Tokelau, has been immense,” Dr Tupou-Roosen wrote.

“The extraordinary work that he has done with the leaders and people of Tokelau to turn around their fisheries management and development to reveal its true value and potential has been remarkable. Without a doubt, the merits of this wonderful collaboration will benefit the people of Tokelau today and for generations to come.

“In the wider region, FFA continues to benefit regularly from his vast knowledge and experience in our fisheries discussions. His commitment, passion and diligence for the people of the Pacific in our fisheries work makes this a most well-deserved award for Stan Crothers.”

Dr Josie Tamate, Deputy Chair, WCPFC, and Director-General, Niue Ministry of Natural Resources

“This is an excellent achievement for Stan!” Dr Tamate wrote.

“I have great respect for Stan, particularly his contribution to the management of the tuna fisheries in the WCPO and especially for Tokelau. He has a wealth of experience on fisheries management and negotiation that have flowed on to Pacific island and FFA island colleagues.

“We have learned from him, and his sense of humour is quite interesting, especially through the analogies and metaphors that he sometimes uses. Only Stan can make an intervention with reference to a ‘divorce and/or marriage’ during a serious fisheries negotiation … yet in many instances, it helped break the ice and pressure a bit. Congratulations, Stan.”

His Excellency Mr Ross Ardern, Administrator of Tokelau

“On a personal level and as the Administrator of Tokelau, I was so pleased to see Stan receive acknowledgement of his work in the fisheries sector in the New Year’s Honours list,” Mr Ardern wrote. 

“His elevation to that of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit is richly deserved. I am particularly pleased that Stan’s family will be able to participate in the award ceremony in Wellington in the not-too-distant future as they, too, have played their part in supporting Stan and his work.

“Stan has epitomised what it is to be a public servant. The work that he has done in lifting the fisheries profile of Tokelau has paid significant dividends. It has given Tokelau the ability to focus on core infrastructure relating to schools, public service buildings and the education sector.

“Stan has passed a great deal of institutional knowledge about the technicalities of the fisheries sector to others – his great work will continue and all pacific countries will benefit from that.

“Thanks, Stan, for all you have done for the Pacific.”

And now, the reason behind Stan’s decision to help Tokelau in 2010, is given by Mr Feleti Tulafono, Tokelau’s Director for Fisheries, in his inimitable and colourful way.

Stan was an unknown individual to us, most probably because he was very high up in the echelons of the then New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries.

When Stan came into Tokelau Fisheries, we worked very closely with him. And as we got to know him better, we found out he was a former Deputy Director and Acting Director of NZ Fisheries. At this time, Stan was doing consultancy work for the World Bank in the area of fisheries. For me, I had a burning question that I wanted to ask Stan.

Feleti: Stan, what made you change your mind and agree to help Tokelau Fisheries?

Stan: When I agreed to the late Ulu, Foua Toloa and Fisheries Minister, Keli Kalolo’s invitation to travel to Tokelau to help Tokelau realise the potential from her fisheries and build that potential, I knew it would be near impossible. That it was going to be a very big undertaking because the proper legal, development and management frameworks were not in place. Most specifically, because of Tokelau’s current constitutional status [as a territory of New Zealand].

Students of Tialeniu School make their way to the school shuttle to take them across the lagoon to Fenuafala where the school is located. Photo: Litia Maiava/Te Mana.
Students of Tialeniu School make their way to the school shuttle to take them across the lagoon to Fenuafala where the school is located. Photo: Litia Maiava/Te Mana.

Feleti: So what made you agree to help us?

Stan: Well, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. On my first evening in Fakaofo, I was talking with the late Foua Toloa and Keli Kalolo. They had been trying very hard to convince me to help them and Tokelau. I told them, when we broke off to go to bed, that I would think about it.

The following morning I went for a walk around the village and I could see schoolchildren. Some walking and some joyfully running to the jetty where they board the school boat to take them to school on the other islet, Fenuafala.

I kept walking towards the jetty and two young schoolgirls came skipping along and one of them said ‘Good morning Stan!’ It took me by surprise because I did not know who they were. 

It was later when I went to see the then Manager of Fisheries, Mose Pelasio, that I came to know the young girl who said good morning was Mose’s youngest daughter, Te Kaumana’alofa.

The ‘good morning Stan’ from that young girl, at that moment while I was watching the young children cram into that small school boat was the turning point – I decided there and then to help Tokelau.

And so the arrangement began. To this day, Stan has not budged into a formal arrangement, preferring to honour the 2010 ‘shake of hands’ with Foua and Keli, a gentleman’s agreement for his services.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (left) learns steps of a traditional dance from Tokelau's Te Kaumana'alofa (right) during official visit to Tokelau in July 2019. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
That ‘Good morning, Stan’ smile is just as bright now … Te Kaumana’alofa (right) teaches New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (left) the actions to one of Tokelau’s traditional dances during Ms Ardern’s state visit to Tokelau in July 2019. Photo: Fatu Tauafiafi/Pacific Guardians.
Author Fatu Tauafiafi

Announced: FFA’s new deputy Director General – Tokelau-raised Matthew Hooper

Categories @WCPFC14, FFA Media Fellows past eventsPosted on 7 December 2017
Announced: FFA’s new deputy Director General – Tokelau-raised Matthew Hooper
Matthew Hooper, incoming FFA Deputy Director General
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By Lealaiauloto Aigaletaule’ale’a F. Tauafiafi,Manila

“I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Matthew Hooper as the next deputy Director General of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA),” Mr James Movick, FFA’s Director General told Pacific media at a press briefing last night.

“He will take over when the incumbent Mr Wez Norris leaves us in mid-January.”

There were two significant points revealed in Mr Movick’s announcement at the Philippines International Conference Centre.

“Matthew being a New Zealand citizen has the distinction of spending some of his childhood and early schooling in Tokelau. So that’s rather distinctive as not many people have been to Tokelau and he’s spent his early years growing up and going to school there.”

This first point is pertinent as it is well established in the ‘Western psyche’ that the geography of our childhood helps shape our understanding of the world. The place where we grow up is the starting point of our identity and perception, our first context for reality.

If one looks at an individual’s identity from the vantage point of geography, it is that their world is shaped by the feel, characteristics, and weather of a landscape: a rugged coastline with crashing waves, the open horizon of flat plains, a lush tropical forest, or an urban complex. That the contours and intricacies of childhood landscapes influence their first assumptions about how the world looks and works.

For Mr Hooper, many of those early childhood geographical features belonged to the three atolls of Tokelau. Islands with a combined land area of 12 square kilometers it is dominated by the Pacific Ocean. A place that is accessible only by boat. Isolated, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. But more than the beauty and spirituality of its physical environment, Tokelau is shaped by its people their culture and traditions. Its ‘inati system’ of sharing embodies equality in sharing and solidarity in effort, aspirations, achievements and hardship. A rare and selfless behavior that fortifies the characteristics of respect, service, sharing and love that result in actions for the ‘greater good’.

The second point of significance in the announcement is Mr Hooper’s involvement with the Treaty of Waitangi and settlement of the injustices dealt to the Maori people by the British crown in the late 19th century.

“Matthew when he first started in fisheries around 1976 started in a very complex issue which was incorporating or facilitating Maori communities to begin to implement the rights they won under the Treaty of Waitangi settlement,” explained Mr Movick.

“So Matthew, as a very young man was given the job of working with all the iwi* in trying to put all of that together in order to enable a Maori fisheries management to be incorporated within the overall New Zealand fisheries management, a very challenging job.”

It is these two points that stand out about Mr Hooper’s appointment and ultimately, is what got him the job according to Mr Movick.

“He is well known and respected for his capability to work with people and it’s a very tricky situation to help resolve issues. And I think at the end of the day that was the principal basis for the recommendation from the interview panel comprised of five members of the Forum Fisheries Committee.

“… and I saw no reason not to accept the recommendation of the panel. Certainly, I hope that all our FFA colleagues, CROP and fisheries constituencies and leaders will welcome him in his new job.”

It should also be of comfort to the weavers, planters, fishers and children of the Pacific, that one of their Tokelau raised sons will spearhead the efforts to sustainably manage their oceanic tuna and other fisheries resource; and maximize economic returns and opportunities.

* The iwi (tribe) is the largest of the groups that form Māori society. Each iwi is made up of various hapū (clans or descent groups), which might have up to several hundred members. Traditionally, the main purposes of a hapū were to defend land, and to provide support for its members.

TOKELAU OVERVIEW

Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand. It is located in the Pacific Ocean north of Samoa and south of the Equator (9 00 S, 172 00 W). It is only accessible by boat, taking an estimated 28 hours to reach the closest atoll, Fakaofo, a further three hours to Nukunonu, and another six hours to Atafu.

It is made up of the three small atolls named above, separated from each other by high seas. The total land area is approximately 12 km². The total sea area of the exclusive economic zone is approximately 518,000 km². The height above sea level is between 3-5 meters, the maximum width is 200 meters. Tokelau is therefore particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and impacts of climate change such as sea-level rise.

The people of Tokelau are New Zealand citizens. Their relationship hailed by the United Nations as a model for other territories and administering countries to follow.

The population of 1499 (2016 census) is spread approximately equally among the three atolls (Atafu (541); Fakaofo (506) and Nukunonu (452). The traditional lifestyle was subsistence but Tokelau has moved to a cash economy. The only natural resource of any current economic significance is the fishery of the exclusive economic zone.

Tokelau has no main town; each island has its own administrative centre, hospital, school and basic infrastructure. There are no airstrips or harbours. Access is by ship only, through the Port of Apia, Samoa.

There are approximately 7000 Tokelauans living in New Zealand, and smaller communities live in Australia, American Samoa, Samoa, Rapa Nui, and Hawaii.

…ENDS

Author Lealaiauloto Aigaletaule’ale’a F. Tauafiafi, tau

‘Tokelau tuna agreement NOT ideal for us’: Solomon Islands

Categories @WCPFC14, News, NewsPosted on 7 December 2017
‘Tokelau tuna agreement NOT ideal for us’: Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands: Honiara's market wharf - copyright Francisco Blaha
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By RONALD TOITO’ONA, Manila

THE Tokelau Arrangement – an agreement which aims to get Pacific nations working together to manage albacore tuna stocks – is not the right approach for the country, says Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource (MFMR) Ferral Lasi.

Solomon Islands has the biggest albacore fishery of any Pacific nation but confirmed recently it has has withdrawn from the Arrangement.

Speaking to journalists covering the 14th Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC14) in Manila, Mr Lasi said the reason for the withdrawal is based on what is best for the country.

He explained that although Solomon Islands had been assured that its catch allocation under the Arrangement would be based on its historical catch, this did not appear to be the case once the models are run.

“We can see consistently that our allocation has gone down. And so, we decided the best is for us to withdraw, we don’t want to be constrained, because we also have our localization policy, to have our own fleet.

“We are also using the Longline VDS system, which is in conflict with the catch-base system that the Tokelau Arrangement is proposing.

“So that is the reason why we pulled out,” Mr Lasi explained, during a press conference yesterday.

He added, the strengthening of the local Solomon Islands fisheries is part of the country’s policy for the future.

“Based on the longline VDS, we want to ring fence and get more control, …and we see the Arrangement as standing in the way, constraining our policy.

“The Tokelau Arrangement only caters for certain members of FFA. Not all the members are part of the agreement,” the HOD for the Solomon Islands delegation said.

When asked if the move will affect the Pacific Solidarity in the Tuna industry, Mr Lasi said the country did not see this as something that will affect the pacific solidarity, but as an opportunity to breakout and regroup and to form a better Arrangement.

However, the Pacific Islands Tuna Industries Association (PITIA) was dismayed by the news on the country’s withdrawal.

“… actually it was disappointing for the industry, it was disappointing probably for the Pacific island region as well,” John Maefiti, Executive Officer of the Honiara based Tuna Industries Association, told the media

“We should sit down at the table and discuss our differences and look at ways to go forward.

“We just have to show the world that we are together in this and we should fight together in this and not try to show them our weak points by showing our differences in this type of initiative.” Mr Maefiti said.

||ENDS

Author Ronald Toito'ona

FFA on Solomons’ Tokelau Agreement withdrawal

Categories @WCPFC14, FFA Media Fellows past eventsPosted on 7 December 2017
FFA on Solomons’ Tokelau Agreement withdrawal
Solomon Islands: Fixing the net in Kitano wharf, Noro - copyright Francisco Blaha
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By RONALD TOITO’ONA, Manila

THE Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) says it was very unfortunate that the Solomon Islands has pulled out from the agreement, which now signals possible changes for the future of the albacore fishery.

FFA’s Deputy Director General, Wez Norris, told journalists in Manila it was unfortunate that Solomon Islands made the decision at the time that they did.

“What we were very much hoping to achieve, was to finalize the negotiations of the (Tokelau Arrangement) catch management agreement, which we were very close to doing and then allow each country to consider it as a whole complete package and decide whether their interested to participate or not,” Norris explained.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the opportunity to cross that final line, …this only happened at the beginning of November and we and the other countries and the Solomon Islands haven’t really had the opportunity to .. get our breath back after all of that push, and work out where we stand and what we’re going to do next for the collective management for the Albacore fishery.

“Solomon’s in the past has been one of the largest albacore producers from its EEZ and so therefore we can understand the strong need to protect their own interests,” said Mr Norris.

However, the DDG said the Solomon Islands has the most to gain from a sustainable albacore fishery and they also have the most to lose from an unsustainable albacore fishery.

“So the FFA will continue to work with them and see where they can come along.

Mr Norris moved on to explain that, he thinks what their Solomon Islands decision making follows on from an earlier decision from Cook Islands to also withdraw.

“I think what that shows us is that we need to take a step backwards and work out sort of see what lessons we can learn from the process that we’ve just been through and then see on how we can get a sort of better design a future process that will give everyone the assurances that they need, Mr Norris said.

“I’m actually confident that, had we finished the negotiation of this, then we would have been able to make a case to all of the albacore countries as to why it was in their interest.

“But as I say, there’s certainly some lessons we can learn about what happened and why before we go back the negotiation way,” the Deputy Director General, who will soon leave the FFA said.

||ENDS

Author Ronald Toito'ona

We are out: Solomon Islands pulls out of key tuna deal

Categories @WCPFC14, News, NewsPosted on 4 December 2017
We are out: Solomon Islands pulls out of key tuna deal
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by Ronald Toito’ona, Solomons Star

Dec 4, WCPFC14, Manila— SOLOMON Islands has pulled out from a key tuna deal called the Tokelau Arrangement, citing it as a danger for the country and its catch allocation in the future.

The Tokelau Arrangement is an agreement amongst Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) member countries, to limit the catch of southern albacore tuna in their EEZ waters.

The aim is to restore profitability and sustainability to the fishery but the arrangement will only work if all countries in the albacore fishery take part.

Solomon Islands is part of the arrangement, which was signed during the 11th annual session of the Western Central Pacific Commission (WCPFC) held in Samoa, in 2014.

The Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ferral Lasi has confirmed the country’s withdrawal from the agreement.

“Yes, we have pulled out because it has the potential to sharply constrain our catch allocation in the future.

“We have our policy to develop our own long-line fishery in the future and this agreement could stand in the way, constraining our catch limit,” Mr Lasi, who is also the Head of Delegation (HOD) for the Solomon Islands, in the 14th Tuna Commission meeting said.

Speaking to Regional Journalists in a press conference over the weekend, WWF’s Bubba Cook said the withdrawal of Solomon Islands from the agreement is a bit unfortunate, when relating it to Pacific solidarity.

“The greatest strength of the Islands is their solidarity. When the Islands come together and want something done as we saw last year at the Commission meeting with respect to the observer safety issue, they can get things done.

“And with respect to the Tokelau Arrangement, we have been calling for improvements in the Southern Long-line fishery now probably for a decade and things continually get worse.

“The fleets operating in the Pacific are continuing to see their catch rates fall, they are struggling to make their businesses viable and of course that is driving them to set more and more hooks to catch fewer fish which those hooks which aren’t catching albacore are catching things like turtles and sharks so it is having a multitude of effects beyond just the direct targeted fishery itself.

“So the Tokelau arrangement brought those countries together to collectively try and address at a Pacific Islands level, management of the Southern Long-line fishery, in a way that would provide reasonable allocations to all of the countries that are involved,” he said.

“With Solomon Islands opting out, I think that diminishes the power and influence of the Tokelau Arrangement. Although I have been told that the Tokelau Arrangement is ‘not dead’, it will continue, it is just not going to have the same strength it would if everyone was inside the tent pushing for the same goals,” Mr Cook added.

When asked the Under-Secretary about the view of WWF in terms of the Tokelau Agreement, and the Pacific Solidarity he said, “In terms of regional solidarity, we are not going to forego our development potential when it weighs heavily against us.”

It was understood that the Pacific solidarity issue will be one of the huge question asked, when the meeting continues this week.–ENDs

Author Ronald Toito'ona

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