FFA HEADQUARTERS, HONIARA – 7 February 2008 - The visit by Prime Minister Jim Marurai of the Cook Islands to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency [FFA] this week has been described as exemplifying the true spirit of regionalism and the support for FFA at the highest level of national and regional governance.
FFA Director General Dan Su’a made the comment at a dinner he hosted in Honiara last night in honor of the visiting Pacific Forum Leader, the first to make such visit.
“Hon Prime Minister, your visit to the Secretariat is a milestone in the history of FFA. It exemplifies the true spirit of regionalism and the support for FFA at the highest level of national and regional governance,” he told guests who included the Governor General Sir Nathaniel Waena and Lady Waena as well as members of the diplomatic corps.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural Development, Fred Fono also attended.
“It [the visit] demonstrates confidence of our members in the work of the Secretariat to enable our people to enjoy the highest levels of social and economic benefits through the sustainable development of our fisheries resources,” Director General Su’a said.
He said the FFA is blessed with Prime Minister Marurai’s visit.
“I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Hon Prime Minister for accepting my invitation to visit the FFA. … I look forward to further dialogues with your good self and your government on issues pertinent to the long term sustainability of our region’s most precious tuna fisheries,” he said.
“May I also take this opportunity to thank the Government and people of the Cook Islands for the financial contributions they have made over the years that allow the Secretariat to discharge of its mandate successfully.
“Cook Islanders have been employed by the FFA over the years and this has been an invaluable contribution by your country,” the Director General said.
It was during the Leaders’ Forum meeting in Tonga last year that the Director General met with Prime Minister Marurai. There, pertinent fisheries issues which required the region’s attention were discussed and an invitation to visit the Secretariat was extended.
He told last night’s gathering that the three most important issues he raised with Prime Minister Marurai were:
• Fisheries awareness at the highest level of government;
• Political support for fisheries both at the national and regional levels; and
• Effective participation by representatives of FFA members at regional and international forums.
“These issues, if properly addressed, provide an integral mechanism that enhances the region’s capability in addressing issues and challenges resulting from the dynamics of national, regional and global fisheries management and development”.
The Director General said the Pacific is host to the last healthy fisheries stocks in the world, namely tuna, warning that over-fishing now threatens two of the four main tuna species if the current level of fishing activity is allowed to continue.
Because tuna resources are highly migratory, their long term sustainability is purely vested in the wills of the international community and the determination of all stakeholders to develop robust conservation and management measures that are supported by viable monitoring, control and surveillance [MCS] regime, he said.
Tuna, he said, is a USD3 billion global industry. Half the total catch is harvested from the Pacific. Eighty per cent [80%] of this is harvested from the waters of FFA members.
“It is therefore not surprising that the Hon Prime Minister and the Government of the Cook Islands is taking a keen interest to ensure the health of tuna stocks in our region. Cook Islands has one of the largest exclusive economic zones in our region that is host to some of the very rich fishing grounds for albacore tuna, bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and the most sought after, highly valuable swordfish,” Director General Su’a said.
He said the challenges of fisheries in our region have never been pressing with the balancing act of trying to address national priorities against regional ones under severe scrutiny.
“The dynamics of fisheries at the national, regional and global levels is immense and is asking a lot of questions on our ability to manage and protect our fisheries,” he said.
“In times like this, we panic. However, history tells us that FFA members have been very successful in addressing fisheries issues and challenges in this region simply by embracing the fundamental principle of regional solidarity,” he said.
The Director General said Prime Minister Marurai’s visit to the FFA Secretariat exemplified this.
The FFA Director General also thanked the Government of Solomon Islands as host of FFA for responding positively to the needs of FFA during what he described as “some trying times” here in Honiara.
“The mere fact that SIG has open dialogues with FFA to address issues such as security is sufficient to raise the level of confidence in the SIG both by the Secretariat and the other 16 FFA members,” he said.
Source: Alfred Sasako, FFA |
