PNG Worried About “Sneaky†Tuna Fishing Activitiesff
22 July 2008
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Governor General and senior statesman, Sir Paulias Matane, has raised serious concern on illegal fishing by foreign vessels that sneak quietly into the Pacific waters to fish.
He flagged this issue during a recent courtesy visit to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) regional headquarters in West Kola’a ridge in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
“I am concerned about fishing boats which come into our waters and get fish without us knowing - they are stealing our fish. My hope is in the future, we can use technology, like the one I’ve seen today, satellite technology to catch the ships which are stealing in our waters. This will be good for all 17 members of FFA,†said Sir Paulias.
“Since 1979, FFA has facilitated regional cooperation so that all Pacific countries benefit from the sustainable use of our tuna - worth over US$3 billion a year and important for many people’s livelihoods in the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea. We look forward to working with His Excellency and Government of Papua New Guinea to build regional cooperation and sustainable development of fisheries in the future,†Dr. Aqorau said.
