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Fishermen from the Marshall Islands work in the cabin of a purse seine fishing boat. (File photo)
photo: Francisco Blaja
Pacific island nations are taking steps to combat labor abuses while promoting sustainable development and working to ensure safer and fairer fisheries.
Pacific Islands Fisheries Bureau Forum The Fisheries Industry Association (FFA) recently held a workshop in Fiji, bringing together government officials and industry leaders to address key labor issues in the fishing industry.
New Zealand has pledged nearly $50 million over the next four years to support sustainable development of Pacific fisheries, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones have announced.
The Fiji Forum stressed the urgent need to address labour abuses in the fisheries sector, such as long working hours, low wages and dangerous working conditions.
The Forum Fisheries Commission (FFC), the governing body of the Forum Fisheries Authority, has made improving working standards in Pacific fisheries a priority.
Football Federation Australia director general Dr Manu Tupou-Rosen stressed the importance of “collective action”.
“As custodians of the vast Pacific Ocean, our resources may be different, but our collective actions can and will have a significant impact on improving working conditions across the fishing sector.
“This priority has been highlighted by the FFC at a meeting of officials earlier this year and will form part of the agenda for the FFC Ministerial Meeting later this month.”
ILO New Zealand has been working with international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to combat labour rights violations.
The Forum Fisheries Commission (FFC), the governing body of the Forum Fisheries Authority, has made improving working standards in Pacific fisheries a priority.
photo: Shannon Services/Greenpeace
“Extremely important resource”
Alfred “Bubba” Cook has been working in fisheries conservation and management for the past 20 years.
At 18, he joined the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power program, which took him around the world and sparked his interest in global affairs, especially international fisheries.
He said tuna is vital to the Pacific as it is one of the main natural resources providing income, nutrition and employment to much of the Pacific.
“Tuna is an extremely important resource in that regard, and no one understands the need for sustainability of the tuna stock better than the Pacific Ocean, because if the tuna disappears, one of the Pacific Ocean’s main sources of income disappears with it.”
“I highly commend the efforts of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency in promoting this initiative, which has strongly supported it and established uniform terms and conditions for the 17 member countries.
“This sets a precedent not only for the region but for the world, and I think the important aspect to consider is that once we see this type of conservation and management measures established in the western and central Pacific, we would expect similar measures to be implemented around the world.”
A significant financial commitment from New Zealand is expected to further support these efforts.
The $50 million package supports a range of initiatives aimed at maintaining healthy and productive Pacific fisheries.
“This support demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners to further develop and maintain healthy, productive fisheries, which are central to the region’s prosperity and sustainable development,” said New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Jones announced the plan at a regional fisheries ministerial meeting in Honiara, stressing its importance to the resilience and sustainability of Pacific nations.
Package includes:
- $19.48 million for national capacity and capability support
- $16.49 million for regional capacity and coordination
- $7.15 million for a new phase of the MPI-led fisheries training program Te Patuitanga Ahumoana a Kiwa
- $4.63 million to support Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission data monitoring
- $948,000 for project support
Jones said greater regional cooperation was needed to address the impacts of climate change, which could cause tuna stocks to shift outside the exclusive economic zones of some Pacific nations.
“A region-wide response is increasingly important to maintain and enhance the interests of Pacific tuna,” he said.
“Pacific Island nations and New Zealand are working together to create sustainable, equitable fisheries.
Not only do these initiatives benefit Pacific Island workers and economies, they also address broader issues of climate change resilience, marine conservation and community development, ensuring a brighter future for the Pacific’s vital fisheries.”
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