AMERICAN tuna boats will not be issued with licences to fish in Pacific waters, including Fiji, unless the expected quarterly payment of approximately $36.6m ($US17 million) is received by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
This was agreed to in the Statement of Intent (SOI) of August 2015 by the Pacific Island Parties (PIPs) to the US Tuna Treaty; Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, the US and Vanuatu.
PACNEWS reported Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), the administrator of the treaty, has advised the US Government that no treaty licences will be issued on January 1, “unless the complete expected quarterly payment is received”.
This follows US’s proposal to reduce by 1930 the number of fishing days it committed to in the SOI and the revision would mean a reduction in revenue of almost $49.6 million ($US23m) by the American Tuna boat owners to Pacific Island Parties.
FFA deputy director Wes Noris said the Honiara-based FFA had several informal communications with both the US Government and the ATA, and it appeared no payment would be forthcoming.
As of January 1, no US vessels will be able to fish in the region’s fishing ground without any licences.
