FIJI has stepped up its fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, deploying satellite surveillance, mandatory vessel tracking, 100 per cent port inspections and naval patrols to protect its vast 1.2 million square kilometre exclusive economic zone.
Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Alitia Bainivalu told Parliament on Wednesday that Fiji’s tuna fisheries were vital not only to the economy but also to the country’s food security and national identity.
“Our tuna fisheries are not merely an economic sector, they are an integral component of Fiji’s cultural heritage, national identity and food security,” she said.
Ms Bainivalu said IUU fishing threatened Fiji’s conservation efforts and sovereign wealth.
“If left unchecked, IUU fishing undermines decades of conservation work, sabotages the domestic economy, and steals the sovereign wealth of the Fijian people.”
She said Fiji had operationalised its Fisheries Surveillance and Operations Centre with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and was using real-time satellite imagery and vessel monitoring systems.
All foreign fishing vessels making port calls in Fiji are subjected to physical inspections, while risk assessments are conducted before vessels are granted entry.
Ms Bainivalu said Fiji was also extending enforcement into international waters through regional operations and Shiprider agreements.
Opposition MP Semi Koroilavesau welcomed the measures but warned that illegal fishing could also occur within Fiji’s licensed fleet.
“I also wish to add that illegal and unreported fishing also is within our own licensed fisheries,” he said.
