An association of U.S. tuna fishing companies is calling for more fairness in fishing rules that it says has led to shortages of product reaching canneries in American Samoa.
The American Tunaboat Association, which represents owners of U.S. flagged purse seiners fishing for tuna, said existing rules governing fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean are not being applied fairly to all parties, according to a report from Radio NZ.
At a regional fisheries meeting in Fiji this week, ATA executive director Brian Hallman called for a "level playing field,” saying rules are not being applied and enforced equally for all fishing fleets.
Hallman also called for all management proposals to be science-based, something that “had not always been the case” in the past, according to the report. He said some Pacific states wanted to further restrict fishing on the high seas for political and economic reasons, and that his organization would “vehemently resist” any such efforts.
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission is scheduled to meet in Nadi, next week and is facing calls from representatives of American Samoa and other nations to appropriate more fishing days for the U.S. fleet, Radio NZ reported.
