Govt battles livelihood, economic threat

For the sake of the livelihoods of all Fijians and the stability of the Fijian economy, the Fiji Government is committed to urgently reduce the critical problem of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Speaking at the closing of the forum yesterday, permanent secretary Fisheries and Forests Inoke Wainiqolo said they are pledged to taking steps to support the management of IUU.

He said all stakeholders from the fishermen to national governments can do a lot to eradicate IUU and still have a lot to do to help reduce it.

Waiqolo said it is indicative of our commitment and their shared interest in maintaining the right spirit in the managing of Fiji’s finite resources through legitimate fisheries practices.

“It’s this coordinated and collaborative approach that makes for progress.”

He said as with any problem, raising awareness and exposing it to the light plays a fundamental role in managing this critical problem.

The forum, yesterday, called for national governments to recognise IUU fishing as a threat to sustainable fisheries, food security, and livelihoods in the region and to prioritise actions at national and regional levels to address this problem, that include allocating sufficient funds for monitoring, control, and surveillance technologies and enacting traceability and catch documentation measures in fisheries.

By Ropate Valemei