Together with other ministries, stakeholders and non-government organisations, the Ministry of Fisheries has started to perform the review of the mechanism used to determine the number of inshore fishing licenses issued annually.
This issue, which is one of the priority areas under the proposed National Fishery Policy, was discussed for two days at a meeting taking place in Suva.
The conclusions drawn will result in a policy document that will set the direction for the fisheries sector in the next five years.
The new policy includes fishing sustainable management, aquaculture and onshore fishing and will be Fiji’s first strategic plan to address food security, poverty alleviation and unemployment in this sector, the Fiji Times Online reported.
At the meeting, Fisheries Department Principal Research Officer Aisake Batibasaga said the government issues tuna and offshore licenses in consultation with stakeholders and with the use of a data based mechanism, unlike its inshore fisheries quota system.
“For coastal fisheries, our target is a 2000 cap but now we have to review that and maybe cut down,” Batibasaga stressed.
The official highlighted that this quota allocation mechanism review gives them the opportunity to talk about sustainable development.
Batibasaga also stated that better policy direction and management practices within the department had resulted in better monitoring practices. He added that conservation organisations could support the review of their licensing quota system by providing data towards the National Fisheries Policy review process.
On the other hand, he argued that concervation organisation could support the license fishery quota system review by providing data for the National Fishery Policy review.
Three rounds of consultation have taken place to analyse the proposed fishery policy, as part of the on document creation process to guide the work carried out by the Ministry of Fisheries.
According to Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau, who also participated in the meeting, the sector was expected to contribute 1.8 per cent to the economy this year.
The minister also ensured the ministry will endeavour to improve its research and development competencies to assist resilience of coastal based villages and settlements to natural disasters through adaptation strategies by restocking their reefs, re-establishing Makogai station and improving the policing to minimize illegal, unregistered, unregulated fishing and better manage their customary fishing grounds.
FIS.com, 2016