During the meeting in Tuvalu last week, the ministers of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), which includes Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, have taken some new far-going measures on tuna conservation in their EEZ’s. Collectively, the PNA countries control -within their EEZ’s- about 25-30% of the world’s supply of tuna and they cooperate to sustainably manage and develop this key resource.
Ministers decided to extend the current 3-month ban on setting of nets around Fish Aggregating Devices (or FADS) to 6 months each year. The details of when and how this measure will be introduced will be released later in the year. So for 2011, still only a 3 month FAD ban will be applicable. During this new 6-month period vessels will be allowed to set their nets on free swimming schools of tuna. Each vessel will be monitored by an onboard independent observer, and also rules related to the FAD-ban will become more stipulated.
Besides this reduction in catching on FADs, the PNA also agreed to phase out the use nets with mesh smaller than 90mm (3.5 inch), to limit by-catch and catch of juvenile tuna and prevent transfer of small mesh nets from other countries to the PNA waters. This concerns mostly Philippine vessels. Within 2 years the use of smaller mesh sizes will be entirely forbidden.
In order to get a better control over the effort by the longline fleet the PNA ministers agreed to a Longline Vessel Day Scheme. This should function just as the Vessel Day Scheme for purse seine fishing that the PNA has developed and implemented. Already trials on a longline VDS have been taking place.