MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS, 22 APRIL 2010: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) Office was officially launched today in the presence of the RMI President and the PNA Ministers.

The PNA brings together eight Pacific Island countries to sustainably manage tuna and increase economic benefits for their peoples. PNA members are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. These countries own waters which supply 25% of the world’s tuna, an estimated $2 billion worth of fish every year.

KOROR, PALAU, 25 FEBRUARY 2010: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) which includes Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, stated today they would seek ‘eco-label’ certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for skipjack tuna.

A pre-assessment by Moody Marine Ltd recommended skipjack tuna caught by purse seine vessels in PNA waters setting on free schools of tuna (without Fish Aggregating Devices [FADs] or other devices) be subject to full assessment by MSC. This assessment process could lead to MSC certification of 40% of skipjack tuna caught in PNA waters.

KOROR, PALAU, 25 FEBRUARY 2010: The first Presidential Summit of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) which includes leaders from Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, opens today.

The Presidents will meet at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Centre to discuss the development of the PNA, which aims to develop innovative ways to maximize economic gains from sustainable management of the members’ tuna fisheries.

The PNA, has been dubbed ‘OPEC for tuna’ because it aims to control access to tuna in its waters and so increase economic benefits for Pacific Islanders.

BIKENIBEU, TARAWA, KIRIBATI, THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 2009: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), met this week and agreed to actions to advance their interests in securing greater economic benefits from the tuna resources and co-ordinate and harmonise the management of common fish stocks for the benefit of their peoples.

The Parties to the Nauru Agreement are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu and often are referred to as the PNA. Their 3rd Implementing Arrangement, adopted in 2008, follows a tradition of innovation by PNA leaders in developing new initiatives to manage tuna resources in the region. Many of the measures of the PNA were also adopted at the last meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission such as the high seas pockets closure, controls on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and the coverage of purse seine fishing vessels with observers.