Fiji Issued Too Many Tuna Fishing Licensesff

An audit of Fiji’s 2005 Tuna Plan has found the country’s Fisheries Ministry exceeded the number of fishing licenses it was entitled to issue.

The recommended number of licenses for the sustainability of the tuna industry is 60, instead 72 licenses were issued, Fiji news sources reports. The findings by independent consultant Don Aulders also show the fisheries legislation is out of date. These concerns were relayed to stakeholders who attended this week’s fisheries meeting in Suva.

Another matter was the lack of progress in the establishment of a National Fisheries Authority. The proposed authority would shoulder some of the responsibilities of the Fisheries Ministry. These include the implementation of fisheries plans, licenses, fees, monitoring and enforcement. This would leave the ministry free to focus on policy and research.