The Republic of Vanuatu was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for its contribution to stamping out illegal fishing in the worlds ocean by the Director General, Professor Jose Graziano da Silva.
The award was presented during the launching of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) at the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) Headquarters in Rome, Italy recently.
Vanuatu’s Permanent Representative to the FAO, Ambassador Roy Mickey Joy, received the award on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Livestock, and Bio-Security and the Government as a whole. Vanuatu joints two other FFA members States of Tonga and Palau to receive the FAO Awards in recognition for their effort to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing in their fisheries.
This is in recognition of the commitment by Vanuatu in the fight against IUU fishing by Vanuatu flag fishing vessels operating globally and foreign fishing vessels licensed to operate in its EEZ. Vanuatu’s successful return to green card in 2014 and the continued commitment to ensuring its vessels are compliant with the laws of Vanuatu as well as conservation and management measures of the regional fisheries management organizations that Vanuatu is a member to.
Through the leadership of the Minister of Fisheries, Matai Seremiah Nawalu and technical support, input and advise from his very well abled team of the Director General Mr. Howard Aru, the Department of Fisheries Director Mr. Kalo Pakoa and his officials and through the continued support of the former Director of Fisheries, Mr. Moses Amos Tinapua, Vanuatu was able to join 63 other Member states in successfully concluding and ratifying the Agreement.
The FAO Agreement on the Port State Measures was adopted in 2009 as an Agreement to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing through the implementation of effective port State measures, to control IUU fishing and thereby ensure sustainable use of living marine resources and marine ecosystems. PASMA is now elevated to a Convention after having surpassed the 25-parties this year to be in force as a binding International Treaty to combat IUU fishing as of 5th June, 2016.
Being a party to the PSMA The FAO Director General in his speech stated that ‘the implementation of the Agreement worldwide and performance by flag States, supported by effective Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and supplemented by market access and trade measures would not only strengthen international efforts to curb IUU fishing but would, also support the strengthening of fisheries management and governance at all levels’. Implementation of the PSMA would contribute also to curbing the lucrative sub-industry created by IUU, with an annual bi-catch estimate of up to 26 million tonnes, valued at US$23 billion.
As a party to the PSMA, Vanuatu is obliged to cooperate with other parties to the PSMA and to apply the provisions of the PSMA. In fact the new Fisheries Act provides for the implementation of the PSMA. In essence, as a flag state Vanuatu will be required to comply with PSMA as applied by other Port States, as well as apply the PSMA as a port State, whereby any suspected or known IUU vessel can be denied the use of any designated Vanuatu ports. Furthermore, since Vanuatu fishing vessels regularly visit ports of other parties to the PSMA, Vanuatu can take advantage of the fact that it can receive from a port State information pertaining to an inspection of a Vanuatu vessel.
While welcoming and acknowledging the country’s political commitment in this very important Treaty which is a corner stone to effectively and systematically addressing directly the elements of global IUU Fisheries – Vanuatu’s first Permanent Representative to FAO and equally Ambassador to the EU Roy Mickey Joy wishes to place on record the very successful contributions, both at the political and technical level from the following individuals- David Tosul Butulso former Minister of Fisheries for his stewardship in pursuing the difficult implementation of the IUU Yellow Card from the EU and in particular the former Director of the Department of Fisheries and current Director of FAME in SPC, Mr. Moses Amos Tinabua, Capt Anthony Zuanich representing the Pelagic Tuna Industry, Mr William Naviti Manager Compliance at the Fisheries Department and Mr Jason Raubani who is also the new Director of the Department of Environment Protection and Conservation, for their involvement and insight into the Vanuatu IUU fishing issue.