PACIFIC: lawmakers discuss ocean resources

PACIFIC LAWMAKERS DISCUSS OCEAN RESOURCES

By Olivier Wortel

KOSRAE, FSM (Marianas Variety, July 25) - The great fish stocks of the 
central and western Pacific were on the minds of Pacific Island legislators 
at the 22nd General Assembly of the Association of Pacific Island 
Legislatures from July 16 to 18.

Held in Kosrae for the first time since its inception in 1981, the APIL 
delegates considered and discussed the multiple issues surrounding one of the 
worlds’ last great resources — the migratory fish stocks that swirl near the 
equator — and how the island members within the region can best capture and 
control those fish stocks, and the money they generate, for themselves.

"The fishing industry in the Pacific is worth billions of dollars. Our share 
of that industry currently amounts to less than two percent. We can do much 
better than that, " said Pohnpei Vice Speaker and President of APIL Quirino 
Mendiola.

Mendiola said the fish harvesting component of the industry is already 
"over-exploited," and that the states within the region would be best off by 
adding value through fresh fish processing, handling, packaging, and 
efficient transportation to lucrative markets around the world.

"As fishermen and fisherwomen, we have the responsibility to not only develop 
fisheries, but conserve them as well," said Mendiola, in relation to the 200 
mile EEZ’s that each island controls.

Eugene Pangelinan, deputy director of the National Oceanic Resource 
Management Authority of the FSM, gave the central presentation.

Pangelinan, just off the plane from some of the major port cities of Japan, 
talked about the Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly 
Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.

The Convention is an international management body that has an overall 
objective to promote responsible fishing operations for vessels operating in 
the South Pacific region.

The main principles for "the Bible of the oceans," stated Pangelinan, are to 
ensure a cautionary approach to the long-term sustainability and biodiversity 
of fish stocks and the marine environment; ensure that measures are based on 
the best scientific evidence available; adopt measures to minimize waste, 
discards, catch by lost or abandoned gear, pollution from fishing vessels, 
and catch of non-target species; promote the development and use of 
selective, environmentally safe fishing techniques; and take measures to 
prevent or eliminate over-fishing.

"We are not going to wait for it to be over exploited, like they did in the 
Atlantic. We are going to manage it before that happens," said Pangelinan, 
and added, "Our boats will not be treated any different than Japan or Korea 
or China when it comes to the laws of the Convention," referring to the 
approximately 1,000 longliners, and 200 purse seiners plying the region’s 
waters.

Shortly after the Convention was adopted by 19 of the participating countries 
in 2000, six states ratified it. They are the FSM, Fiji, the Marshall 
Islands, Kiribati, Papau New Guinea, and Samoa. Two countries — Japan and 
South Korea — were against adoption, stated Pangelinan, while three countries 
— China, France, and Tonga — abstained.

July 25, 2003

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