The Nauru Agreement is a subregional agreement on terms and conditions for tuna purse seine fishing licences in the region. The Parties to the Nauru Agreement are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
This Agreement has 3 Implementing Arrangements which set out specific rules for fishing in these countries.
Public
Nauru Agreement Introduction
US Treaty
Introduction
FFA administers and provides support for the implementation of the Multilateral Treaty on Fisheries Between Certain Governments of the Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America (commonly referred to as the "US Treaty"). The US Treaty first started in 1987 and it has been renewed on two occasions, with the last renewal in 2003 and to run for 10 years until 2013. The US Treaty enables US purse seine fishing vessels to fish in the waters of the 16 Pacific Island Parties which are: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Full text of the treaty can be downloaded below.
Delegates to the Internal Meeting of the Pacific Island Parties click here to download papers
Introduction
FFA administers and provides support for negotiations and meetings regarding several fishing treaties. The Palau Arrangement for the Management of the Purse Seine Fishery in the Western and CentralPacific was developed by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement and entered into force in November 1995.
The Arrangement set a limit on the number of purse seine vessels that could be licensed by the Parties and allocated these licences by fleet. Signatories to the Palau Arrangement are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu.
Introduction
FFA administers and provides support for negotiations and meetings regarding several fishing treaties. The Niue Treaty is an agreement on cooperation between FFA members about monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing - it includes provisions on exchange of information (about where the position and speed of vessels at sea, which vessels are without licences) plus procedures for cooperation in monitoring, prosecuting and penalising illegal fishing vessels.
Introduction
Fisheries development at FFA develops the capacity of members to sustainably harvest, process and market tuna to create livelihoods and economic profits.
Pacific Island countries need policy change to increase local industry development to create economic growth. Currently local fishing industry has low numbers of jobs, poor earnings from employment and a low impact on poverty alleviation and food security. For example, Pacific Islands countries catch just $200 million worth of tuna from its fisheries while foreign nations fishing in the same waters catch over $1 billion.
Many activities in the Fisheries Development division are part of the DEVFISH project.
Fisheries Development activities also follow the strategy set out in the Regional Tuna Management and Development Strategy.
SC-SPTBF
The FFC Sub-Committee on South Pacific Tuna and Billfish Fisheries (SC-SPTBF) has been considering short and long term management objectives and options for the longline fisheries targeting albacore, swordfish and striped marlin.
SC-SPTBF participants click here to access your internal site of meeting papers here
FFA members
The Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency has 17 members, including many small island developing states. FFA members, with varying levels of development and other cultural and social differences, exercise their common concern for the state of tuna stocks in the region through membership of FFA. As members, they shape the policy direction of fisheries management, control and development across the region and recieve expertise and support to manage tuna within their own waters.
FFA's 17 Pacific Island members are:
Australia
Read FFA news and reports about Australia
Cook Islands
Read FFA news and reports about Cook Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
FFA Vessel Monitoring System
FFA's Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) allows FFA members to track and monitor fishing activities across the region. Based at the FFA's regional headquarters, but accessible to all FFA member countries, this a satellite-based system monitors the position, speed and direction of registered fishing vessels.
For more information, please use the links below:
Introduction
The Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) is a scheme where vessel owners can purchase and trade days fishing at sea in places subject to the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA).
The purpose of the VDS is to constrain and reduce catches of target tuna species, and increase the rate of return from fishing activities through access fees paid by Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs). The total allocation of fishing days is set and apportioned between Pacific Island members for one-year periods up to three years in advance.
Introduction
FFA advises members about relevant developments in international trade policy and economic co-operation frameworks and how to advance their individual and collective fisheries interests in trade policy and economic partnership negotiations. Regular trade and industry reports include Fisheries Trade Briefing, Tuna Market News & Fisheries Economic Indicators. Many of these activities are part of the DEVFISH project.
