Opposition leader Viliame Gavoka has questioned the Government’s efforts to utilise its relationship with its Pacific neighbours to grow Fiji’s tuna industry.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Gavoka grilled their opponents on their failure to sustain Fiji’s tuna stock.

“We have the capacity to process 75,000 metric tonnes a year and there are about seven processing plants in Suva,” he said.

“But the problem is the supply of tuna. “Fiji’s water is not ideal for tuna, but tuna is in plentiful supply in the waters of the Solomon Islands and the waters of Papua New Guinea.

“We ask the question that these are our MSG (Melanesian Spearhead Group) partners, our Wantok. Why is it that we cannot acquire tuna from their waters to fully utilise the capacity we have in Fiji?

“This is a sad indictment on the way FijiFirst handles the relationship within the region, with our neighbours in particular.”

Mr Gavoka said Fiji’s northern Pacific partners were also rich in tuna stocks which the Government should be utilising.

“So, I would ask the Government, why is it that you cannot use your relationship to enable us to secure tuna from those MSG countries and to keep our processing plants in Fiji fully functioning?”