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On August 13, 2024, Ambassador Hiroyuki Orikasa and the Japan Fisheries Survey Team met with President Suranga Whipps.
The fisheries survey team visited Palau from August 13 to 20 and discussed with President Whipps the development of Palau’s fisheries, including the Port of Ngapang.
The visit is a direct follow-up to discussions between President Whipps and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their summit in Tokyo on July 17, 2024. The preparatory survey conducted by the team is expected to contribute to a more comprehensive study planned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Japanese fishing vessels have been operating within Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). However, maintaining profitability remains a challenge for Palau and Japanese fishing vessels as only 20% of the zone is currently accessible. Japan supports the Palau government’s initiative to amend the PNMS Act to expand the operational EEZ area to 50%, which is considered key to maintaining sustainable fishing operations and will also help monitor and manage Palau’s resources within the vast EEZ. The early enactment of this amendment is highly anticipated.
The Japanese side believes that amending Palau’s Fisheries Management Act will promote a fishery environment that benefits both countries. To this end, the Japanese side is committed to cooperating in the development of Palau’s fisheries, including the Port of Ngapang.
The delegation will also visit the Fisheries Bureau and the Ngapang State Government to conduct interviews and surveys on the mid- and long-term future production and distribution vision and the potential for ecotourism development. In addition, the delegation will also visit the Ngapang Fishing Port, the Palau Offshore Fisheries Association (BOFI), the Palau Commercial Fisheries Corporation (PFC) and other relevant institutions to investigate fishery-related activities and observe and analyze the current status of the industry.
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