Source: Fiji Times
A local company executive says the decision by Government not to impose a levy on direct exports of tuna by foreign vessels is adversely affecting the local industry.
Fiji Fish Marketing Group Limited managing director Grahame Southwick said with tuna being exported by foreign fishing vessels, factories in Fiji stood idle as the raw material was shipped out of the country without going through any vetting, handling or processing and opportunity to add value.
Mr. Southwick made the comments in reaction to questions sent to him on the status of the local fishing industry.
“Twice Cabinet has ruled that this must cease and twice their decision has been overruled by the Fishery Ministry. And Fiji is being left with nothing but empty factories,†he said.
He said he believed the Fisheries Department made some fundamental errors of judgment on which they based their whole expansion plan.
“Firstly they are using an arbitrary figure, 15,000 tons as a total available catch, which was invented by a bunch of fishery officers back in early 2004, who needed an excuse to issue more and more licenses. More than double that recommended by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the industry. A great deal of money changed hands as a result,†he said.
Mr. Southwick said even though industry data confirmed that the total available catch of fish was around the 9500 metric tons (Mt) per annum and the 15000mt per annum has never been approached because it did not exist.
“All the data shows conclusively that a Fiji fleet of 40 or so vessels can and has caught 9500 Mt year after year, and that when in 2004 Fisheries allowed up to 110 licenses, we still only caught 9500/10,000 Mt,†he said.
He said if 200 licenses were issued the vessels would still only catch 9500 Mt.
“So the logic that Fiji will benefit from the issue of more licenses if greatly flawed. All that will happen is that we will see a repeat of 2004, when the fishing fleet collapsed from 110 to 35 as each boat could not catch enough to survive,†he said.
Questions sent to Fisheries and Forests permanent secretary Viliame Naupoto and the Fisheries Department were not answered.