According to the news report the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) 5th Ministerial Meeting agreed today on several measures to limit fishing and strengthen conservation and management of tuna. There are eight Pacific Island countries under PNA to sustainably manage tuna. PNA members are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. These countries own waters which supply 25 percent of the world’s tuna, an estimated $2 billion worth of fish every year.
The report states that the PNA have a tradition of innovative conservation and management measures such as the Vessel Day Scheme (a system whereby a set number of fishing days will be sold and traded to the highest bidding fishing companies), closure of high seas areas to fishing and control of Fish Aggregating Devices (or ‘FADs’, which are human-made devices to attract schools of fish that often result in high juvenile fish catches).
The PNA also agreed to close high seas areas to purse seine fishing and support controls on fishing through the Vessel Day Scheme. The PNA Ministerial Meeting further implements the Presidential decisions and enables establishment of the PNA Office with functions to support PNA members on sustainable management and development of tuna.
Ministers signed a resolution to amend the Nauru Agreement and give legal status to the PNA Office which was officially opened today in Majuro, Marshall Islands. Ministers supported proposals to allow fishing observers from one PNA member country to act as observers in other PNA member’s waters.
