The Government is negotiating with Pacific neighbours to secure more tuna for the Pacific Fishing Company (PAFCO) in Levuka, following the EU’s decision to relax rules of origin for fish exports.
Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya pressed the issue in Parliament yesterday, asking whether Fiji had agreed with its regional partners to increase supply for processing at PAFCO.
Mr Koya asked if Fiji had been able to “swiftly agree with its Pacific Island neighbours on more supply of fish to PAFCO to process”.
In response, Fisheries and Forests Minister Alitia Bainivalu said there had been “significant progress in addressing the issue of fish supply to PAFCO”.
She told Parliament PAFCO had shared plans to establish a fleet of longliners and purse seiners. The ministry was also considering issuing offshore licences to PAFCO.
Talks had been held with Kiribati and Tuvalu on access for PAFCO vessels in their waters.
“We have had a follow-up meeting with the head of fisheries from Tuvalu for the last few weeks, confirming the interest in having the PAFCO fishing fleet fish in their waters,” Ms Bainivalu said.
Mr Koya pressed further on labelling requirements, asking whether fish caught in other jurisdictions and processed in Levuka would be labelled as Fiji tuna.
The minister replied that fish would “be processed under the country that they are caught from… but come to offload in Fiji… will be regarded as a Fiji catch”.
She said relaxed EU rules allowed catches processed at PAFCO to be “processed as fish processed in Fiji, or canned tuna coming from Fiji”.
