Vanuatu’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity, Matai Seremiah returns to Port Vila today after what he calls a successful fact finding visit to the operational sites of the China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC) i
Minister Seremaiah and his delegation were met on arrival at the Nausori International Airport by the Vanuatu Charge d'Affairs Emanuel Blessings and the Suva-based CNFC Fleet Manager Qiao Xuetao and his assistant Zhang Shuiku
On Monday, the minister started his official visits to Suva's Princes Wharf to observe offloading activities on the site before he met with his Fijian counterpart, Osea Naiqamu.
The two ministers discussed a proposed MOU on Trans-Boundary Cooperation between Vanuatu and Fiji on monitoring, compliance and surveillance of their fishing grounds. They also followed up on the Southern Albacore long line fishery under the Tokelau Arrangement and the possibility of bringing MSG closer into the tuna fisheries management.
After the meeting with his Fijian counterpart, Minister Seremiah and his delegation met with the Executive Vice GM of CNFC Jing Chunde. They were taken on a tour of the Fiji Fish Wharf at Lami where they were introduced to the floating wharf similar to the one that the Sino-Van Fisheries Ltd is going to build at the Parray Bay in Port Vila.
On Monday evening the minister met with members of the Vanuatu Students Association.
On Tuesday, Minister Seremiah toured the Muaiwalu Wharf where they observed the offloading process of tuna fish from two Vanuatu licensed CNFC ships. All the yellowfin, big eyed and albacore tuna that were loaded from the two vessels were caught within Vanuatu's EEZ. Jing informed the minister that it took them two weeks to sail from Fiji to their fishing ground within Vanuatu EEZ and two weeks to return to offload their catch. It would take five days each way if they sailed from Vanuatu and in addition they would offload all their catch in Vanuatu.
The minister and his delegation also visited the processing plant where the tuna caught in Vanuatu waters were processed and packed for export with the tag "PRODUCT OF THE FIJI ISLAND" on all the cartons that were prepared for airlift for overseas markets.
The purpose of the Minister's trip to Fiji is to see first hand the operation of CNFC and to report back to the government. Minister Seremiah is happy with what he saw during the visit.
"I am happy with the visit, and I must say that I was particularly touched when we visited the offloading and particularly the packaging when our fish had the tag of Fiji Products on them.
"This is very important for the government and our people to understand that while we sit and argue over minor issues, other people are benefitting from our tuna industry. Currently we only benefit from the licensing fee, but we do not see the value of the more than 6 thousand tons of tuna that are being caught in our waters every year,” the minister said.
The minister was companied on this fact finding trip by the Parliamentary Secretary on Fisheries and Malakula MP Gratien Shadrack, Director of Fisheries Kalo Pakoa, Assistant Manager Coastal Fisheries George Amos, and the Port Vila based SINOVAN Fisheries Ltd Director Shen Li.
Photo: Facebook/Ian Huri