Palau Proposes Tuna Fishing Ban For Foreign Vesselsff

Palau’s president, President Remengesau has proposed a bill which prohibits the commercial export of highly migratory fish –mainly tuna- from Palau and bans foreign tuna fishing vessels from Palau waters.

The president introduced Fisheries Protection Act of 2008.

In a letter to Olbiil Era Kelulau (OEK) leaders, the president said the bill will finally put an end to the over-exploitation of Palau’s highly-migratory tuna populations by creating one of the largest sanctuaries for migratory fish in the Pacific.

“Under its provisions, no one may export for commercial purposes any highly migratory fish, including tuna, tuna-like species, billfish, and sharks,” the president said.

The president said that catching these fish and exporting them on a non-commercial basis is not prohibited and foreign fishing companies currently permitted to be allowed to continue their operations only after the agreements expire on January 1, 2012, then no foreign fishing vessel will be allowed to enter Palau’s waters to fish.

The president said that the measure is necessary although may appear too strong.

The president said that the world’s tuna stocks are rapidly declining because of large scale fishing operations.

“If these activities are allowed to continue unchecked, the world faces the collapse of the marine ecosystem that supports the planet. It is Palau’s obligation as an international leader in environmental conservation to take this step,” the president said.

He added that the bill is important because by prohibiting the commercial export of these fish and by banning foreign fishing vessels from our waters, we will reserve these fish for the Palauan people and we will help protect our environment.

The president said although the government might lose a source of revenue beginning in 2012 the revenue can be taken from donations.

“I am convinced that we can make up this revenue through donations from international environmental organizations.

The proposed piece of legislation also set up a trust fund to accept these donations.