Bali, Indonesia 30 November 2015: Use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) in Parties  to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) waters will come under closer scrutiny at this year's Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting as figures show FAD closures have not reduced the bigeye tuna catch as intended.

   Bali, Indonesia 29 November 2015: Hard limits for purse seine fishing effort on the high seas, a package of management measures for both longline and purse seine fishing fleets, and capacity management for small island developing states to expand domestic fishing fleets are key elements of a plan the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) want to see adopted by next week’s Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

Bali, Indonesia 26 November 2015: The Parties to Nauru Agreement (PNA) will oppose any proposal for a separate Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) logbook being proposed by certain fishing nations to collect and report data on FADs.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 14 November 2015: The PNA plan to implement a Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) for the longline fishing industry in the western and central Pacific received a boost recently with the agreement of Papua New Guinea and Tokelau to join the five PNA nations that had triggered launch of the plan at the end of last year.

   This brings six of eight Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) members and Tokelau into the new management scheme that aims to manage a largely out-of-control segment of the multi-billion dollar tuna fishery in the region.

Nadi, Fiji 22 September 2015: “Work with us, and support the systems that we have developed — don’t undermine the fisheries management framework that we have developed, because we will ultimately win,” PNA CEO Dr. Transform Aqorau said in his keynote address to the 5th Pacific Tuna Forum 2015 in Fiji today. “We are here to stay.”

Selection of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) as a finalist in the international Seafood Championship Awards for 2016 is an honor that is “a good reflection of work the Parties have done to manage the fishery,” said the PNA CEO Tuesday.

Pacific Tuna Forum 2015: Achieving Optimal Economic Benefits through Sustainable Tuna Management and Development

The biggest tuna industry gathering in the Western and Central Pacific region, the 5^th Pacific Tuna Forum is scheduled from 22-23 September 2015 at the luxurious Sofitel Resort, Denarau, Nadi, Fiji.  More than 250 delegates are expected to be part of this prestigious Pacific tuna meeting with over 30 well known speakers scheduled to speak at the event.

   Majuro 8 August 2015: The one-year transitional arrangement for United States vessels for 2016 is a “positive development reflecting the value of rights-based fisheries management” for the Pacific islands, said the CEO of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) today. Dr. Transform Aqorau said the one-year deal agreed to on 5 August 2015 at the end of a negotiating session in Australia brings greater benefits to all Pacific islands and confirms the value of the PNA’s vessel day scheme (VDS) for managing the skipjack tuna fishery in the western and central Pacific ocean.

While enjoying the benefits of the current surge in fisheries revenue, PNA member countries need to prepare for future downturns in revenue to avoid shocks to government finances and services dependent on this new source of funds, said Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) CEO Dr. Transform Aqorau.

“We can’t be complacent about the income we’re receiving now,” said Dr. Transform Aqorau in Majuro this week. “One bad year of fishing will have a huge negative impact on our economies.”