Fiji has endorsed and will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on fishing access arrangement for 2024 under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty.
The treaty currently guides fishing access by US-flagged purse seine vessels that fish for tuna in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of 16 Pacific Island parties, who are also members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
“The MOU allows United States tuna vessels operating under the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of certain Pacific Island parties and the Government of the United States of America to continue fishing in the EEZs of the Pacific Island parties in 2024,” a statement on Cabinet’s meeting on June 18 stated.
“Fiji is a party to the Treaty which allows fisheries access to the US purse seining tuna fishing fleet in Pacific waters.”
The Tuna Treaty — which provides for access by US-flagged purse seine vessels to fish for tuna in the EEZs of the Pacific Islands parties in exchange for access fees paid by the US fishing industry and the provision of fisheries development assistance by the US government – had expired last year and is currently being rolled over for another 10 years.
The MOU will allow US fishing fleet operating under the treaty to continue fishing in the EEZs of the Pacific Island parties in 2024 while the formal adoption of the agreed amendments and revised text of the treaty for 2025 onwards are being worked out.
Ten of the 16 Pacific parties had signed their MOUs with the US in Fiji in March.
The revised Treaty package provides for the new $US60million ($F134million) a year funding by the US government for the next 10 years (2023-2033) and a further amount to be paid by the US fishing industry, for which the signing will take place later this year.
The US government also agreed to provide an additional $US10m ($F22.5m) in 2023 for economic development funds which included funds for climate change related projects to be distributed equally to the Pacific Island parties.
The Pacific parties include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
