The Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office (PNAO) is moving forward with a plan to expand its vessel day scheme to cover longline fleets, with the goal of implementing the scheme in 2019.
Ministers of the PNA, which composed of eight Pacific Island nations that jointly run a zone-based fishery management area, endorsed the plan in December, saying implementation of a longline vessel day scheme will increase oversight of the fishing industry operating in PNA waters.
“2019 will see a great deal of work to strengthen the [PNA] to increase the efficiency of management of the many elements of the vessel day scheme and the fishery as a whole,” PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru said in an email. “PNAO has a big agenda for 2019 that aims to build on the strength of the VDS, which is the foundation of PNA’s management of the tuna fishery.”
The PNA’s vessel day scheme (VDS) for purse-seiners sets a limit on the number of fishing days allowed in the region, requires an independent fisheries observer on board and the collection of detailed catch data, and includes an annual three-month moratorium on the use of fish-aggregating devices (FADs) and in-port transshipment for further monitoring. Kumoru said he would like to see a similar management structure placed on longliners. Simultaneously, the PNA will push to mandate all longliners fishing in its waters use electronic monitoring, Kumoru said.
At least one non-PNA nation with a “significant” longline industry is keen to join the PNA VDS program, Kumoru said.
“Under the right circumstances, additional countries implementing the longline VDS will have a positive impact on management of the longline fishing industry in the region,” Kumoru said.
Additionally, the PNA is working harder to create and maximize economic development opportunities for its member-states, Kumoru said.
“Business people and entrepreneurs grow the economies of our islands. We need to involve our own business people to build the economy,” Kumoru said. “Instead of just bringing in outside investors, let’s reach out to our own entrepreneurs to show them the opportunities.”
As a method of maximixing revenue, Kumoru suggested the PNA nations worker hard to pool their fishing days to achieve higher prices. Pooled fishing days, allowing for multi-zone access, were selling far above the required minimum of USD 8,000 (EUR 7,000), reaching record highs, Kumoru said.
“We’ve seen the value of pool days increase greatly over the past several years and encourage parties to continue to expand these innovative ways of adding value to the VDS,” he said. “It is demonstrating the true value of the fishery.”
For the benefit of both capturing more value and making it easier to work with, the PNAO is considering the concept of capitalization of its VDS, including the option of establishing fishing day allocations for each of the parties for an agreed period of time.
“Establishing a long-term allocation of fishing days for each party would provide more certainty to industry and countries in managing the VDS,” Kumoru said.
In his email, Kumoru also said the PNA will implement a ban on high-seas bunkering in 2020 in an effort to cut down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. From 1 January, 2020, the PNA will require all bunkering to be performed in port or in designated locations within the exclusive economic zones of PNA parties.
“We are implementing a decision of PNA leaders that addresses broad issues around the tuna fishery,” he said. “These include reducing potential pollution and increasing monitoring of fishing vessel refueling that can help ensure there is no human and drug trafficking or smuggling occurring during these refueling operations. In-port refueling also increases economic spinoff opportunities for PNA members. Currently a substantial amount of bunkering happens on the high seas where it goes unregulated and unmonitored.”
Photo courtesy of Francisco Blaha
