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Tuna vessel. (Photo Credit: AAFA)
Kiribati’s secret deal with Asia shocks the tuna sector
 WORLDWIDE
Tuesday, October 14, 2014, 00:30 (GMT + 9)
New Zealand's tuna sector representatives voiced concern after learning that Kiribati has settled a fishing deal with China and Taiwan without telling the rest of the Pacific Nations and will force most of the American tuna fleet out of its vast waters.
The small South Pacific nation’s decision, which is a major threat to the viability of New Zealand tuna fishing operations, has shattered the regional fishing consensus, Stuff website reported.
Besides, New Zeland's officials wonder what the future of the skipjack tuna fishery in the South Pacific will be like. This species, one of the major one in the Pacific, is currently regarded as sustainable and healthy
“With this, China is now taking over the South Pacific and there will be no sustainability,” one industry leader told Stuff and also warned that “this will rip the guts out of the American tuna fleet.”
Earlier last week governments of the 17 members of the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), which includes New Zealand and Kiribati, and the United States had settled a tuna deal in Pacific waters for 2015.
Through this deal the US has agreed to pay USD 90 million for the right next year for US flagged purse seine vessels to fish 8300 days in the region.
During the deal negotiations, Kiribati offered only 300 days, that is to say, 7.5 days for each American boat whereas this small nation had been expected to grant over several thousand days.
Selling the right to fish by the day – usually around USD 7,500 a day - is now the common practice in the Pacific.
Up to 500 foreign boats, including major New Zealand fishing companies, operate in Kiribati’s 3.5 million square kilometre exclusive economic zone (EEZ). And ti is probable that most of them, including New Zealand boats, are presumably now excluded as it is regarded as uneconomic to operate for such short available days.
Related article:
- Pacific Islands and US settle tuna deal
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