New Zealand stepping up for regional fisheries

New Zealand has long been a regional power in the South Pacific, and in this capacity the country has lead a number of major initiatives undertaken alone or in conjunction with other Pacific Island nations, the most important of these have been policies aimed at environmental protection and sustainability, as well as monitoring and rehabilitation of important environmental resources, such as the Pacific fisheries.

As far back as 1979 New Zealand and number of regional governments were looking at ways in which to protect their ocean-based resources from over-exploitation by foreign operators. Figures on the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) website reveal the extent of the problem, according to the FFA, the Pacific Islands countries harvest around $200 million worth of produce from their fisheries each year, whereas foreign nations in the same waters catch over a billion dollars.

It was to redress this problem that New Zealand and 16 other Pacific Island nations formed the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, which is intended to strengthen regional unity and capacity for monitoring and policing the waters that make up the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) around each country.

The member states vary significantly in both size and economic power, including New Zealand, the other members are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Tuna is the primary resource of the region in terms of the FFA, the sustainable fishing of tuna is worth around $3 billion per year, but requires extensive policing and monitoring of the more than 200,000 square kilometers of ocean that fall under the protection of EEZ legislation. Smaller Pacific Island nations are unable to provide the extensive manpower and financial commitment needed for such a task and so the FFA plays a part in providing a mechanism whereby resources can be pooled.

This is exemplified by almost every policing and monitoring initiative undertaken by the FFA.

Recent New Zealand news reports on Operation TUI MOANA showed the initiative to be a success, as well as an example of regional cooperation.

The operation involved the policing of the waters around Samoa and was undertaken by the Cook Islands, Samoa and New Zealand.

The FFA Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre coordinated the operation while New Zealand supplied two fisheries officers that joined a Cook Islands patrol boat. A RNZAF P3C Orion patrol plane from the Royal New Zealand Air Force provided surveillance capacity to the unit, which conducted patrols and boarding operations in the EEZs around Samoa and the Cook Islands.

The FFA has been an integral part of New Zealand government spending and policy initiatives over the years. In 2006, New Zealand news media reported that the country had played a major part in shaping the future work of the FFA at its annual meeting in Fiji. The government used stark and direct language to reflect its opinion on the Pacific fisheries and was met with universal support from all other member states.

“We are at a critical juncture with respect to the valuable tuna resources in the Pacific,” then-Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, Luamanuvao Winnie Laban told the conference. “Unless the peoples of the Pacific cooperate to ensure our fisheries are properly managed, we run the risk of losing what, for many Pacific Island countries, is the only natural resource that offers real potential for economic development, in addition to being an essential source of food security.”

In this regard New Zealand has played an important role in supporting the work of the FFA. In June of 2010, Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Phil Heatley, hosted a meeting of Fisheries Ministers from Kiribati, Nauru, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. The meeting was intended to agree on ways in which stronger ties and cooperation could be formed between their countries.

“There was support from Ministers for New Zealand’s decision to place a greater focus on assisting Pacific island countries to secure and generate greater economic benefits from sustainably-managed fisheries,” Foreign Minister McCully told New Zealand news media.

Again in August 2010, New Zealand underlined its commitment to these goals by announcing funding increases aimed at supporting the activities of the FFA. The New Zealand government announced funding increases of almost $10 million to support the management and monitoring of the Pacific fisheries.

“The Pacific’s fisheries are the cornerstone of the region’s economy. It’s in the best interests of all Pacific nations to pool our efforts,” Prime Minister John Keys said at a press conference. “As a result, in addition to our current $3.33 million support to the Forum Fisheries Agency, New Zealand will contribute $4.8 million to support the management and delivery of sub-regional and national observer programmes.”

Keys added that this new initiative would provide 250 skilled jobs in the region, as well help the FFA monitor, police and survey existing fish stocks. A further $5 million was set aside for the SPC Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme which enables Pacific Island nations to better manage and track important fish stocks, such as those of tuna.