Vessel Day Scheme

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.

Short-term Fisheries Consultancy with the FFA

Te Vaka Moana Arrangement participants (TVM - the Fisheries Administrations of Cook Islands, Niue, New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, and Tokelau) have directed the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) to coordinate a strategic study to identify and evaluate sustainable business and development opportunities involving the catching, processing and marketing sub-sectors of longline and other fisheries of the TVM to enhance the returns to their domestic economies.

New VDS Register Fees for PS Vessels in PNA Waters

The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) agreed in their 29th Annual Meeting held in Majuro (19-23 April 2010) to increase the VDS Register fee and apply a “Conservation Levy” to purse seine vessels operating in PNA waters, to come into effect on 1 July 2010.

The PNA Office will be notifying fishing parties/vessel operators directly regarding the increase in the VDS Register fee and the application of the “Conservation Levy” which are to come into effect on 1 July 2010, including the payment requirements for the VDS Register fee and the Conservation Levy” to be paid directly into a PNA bank account in Majuro, Marshall Islands.

The payment of the FFA Vessel Register fee of US$2,529 will be paid as normal to FFA with the application for registration.

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PNA PRESIDENTS MEET TO DECIDE WAY FORWARD FOR TUNA

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.

Aims and rules of VDS

By setting limits on the number of days purse seine vessels fish, the VDS is a management tool to limit fishing within sustainable levels. However it also has an economic objective of creating competition between Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFNs) to purchase units of fishing effort in days, at the highest possible price.