IMPLEMENTING of sound and well executed policies remains a tough challenge and lacking in the country and region, resulting in fishing boats getting away without being prosecuted.
This was highlighted by Philip Roberts, managing director of Tri Marine International Ltd, based in Singapore during his presentation early this week at the two-day media training organised by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and Pew Charity Trusts for senior economic journalists around the region.
He said tuna is an expensive industry involving a lot money that needs good policies in order for the region to get better returns from its resources.
He pointed out that making good policy is not easy. Worst still enforcing these good policies are even harder because fisheries officers in island countries are unable to do their work properly and implement these policies.
Mr Roberts, who used to manage National Fisheries Development (NFD) while it was operating out of Tulagi in Central province, cited the example of the new policy being developed in 2012 for longline boats where foreign longline fishing boats fishing in the Solomon Islands’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) must offload their catch in the country for processing.
“In 2012 a policy was developed which allowed for limited entry longline boats to fish in our waters,” he said.
“Another part of the policy is that boats catching tuna in the country’s EEZ must unload their catch to be processed locally and penalties will be imposed on the fishing boats if these catch are offloaded elsewhere.”
However Mr Roberts claimed a good number of long-liners have got away with it by fishing in the Solomon’s waters yet went to offload their catch elsewhere.
“Yet from what I know they are being penalised. The only time they arrive in port is when they are being caught,” he said.
Therefore he highlighted the need for more implementing mechanism by responsible authorities and fisheries officers to carry out the policy and monitor these long-liners.
“Because in the end the country is losing out on revenues and better returns,” he said.
Mr Roberts who usually visits the country for board meetings as well as to see the operation of Soltuna also highlighted that implementing these policies will improve management of longline fishery, meet scientific recommendations and generate economic returns beyond access fees.
By MOFFAT MAMU
in Suva, FIJI
