The press communiqué of New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley states that the launch of new convention in the South Pacific would manage fisheries in the region. They said that under the Convention, a new South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) will administer an area of ocean from Western Australia to the waters off South America, covering the entire Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean.
McCully explained that the Convention completed a comprehensive framework for sustainably managed South Pacific fisheries. Highly migratory species such as tuna are already managed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). SPRFMO is designed to help maintain economic security and stability, given the importance of fisheries to the Pacific’s regional economy. New Zealand is well aware that these stocks are subject to increasing demand and pressure.
As per Heatley the decision is a wise one to manage one of the world’s largest areas of ocean under a single regional fisheries management organisation. He added that the convention will manage fish stocks that are not highly migratory including commercially sought after orange roughy, blue nose, and jack mackerel. He also said that variety of controls will manage the fisheries, help ensure their long-term sustainability and address any adverse effects on the environment.
