Suva, Fiji – The importance
of implementing seafood traceability as
a measure for combating Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated (IUU) fishing was emphasised
at the opening of the second Coral Triangle
Fishers Forum today.
More than 100 participants
from the Asia-Pacific region are converged
at the Novotel Convention Centre in Lami,
Suva, Fiji to discuss the challenge of IUU.
Marine Stewardship Council
Pacific Fisheries Manager Bill Holden said
the Asia-Pacific region must work to remove
the market for IUU products and this can
be achieved by tracing the source of the
fish.
“The ultimate deterrence
to stop fishers engaging in IUU practices
is if they have no markets to sell their
catch to,” Mr Holden said.
“However there are always
temptations and grey areas that cause some
to turn a blind eye to certain practices.
Therefore seafood traceability from the
catcher to the plate is essential to eliminate
IUU practices,” Holden added.
IUU preys on millions
of tons of fish stocks within the Coral
Triangle (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New
Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and
Timor Leste) and the Pacific region—which
accounts for more than 60% of global marine
capture production.
IUU fishing places millions
of livelihoods within the Asia-Pacific region
at risk.
Fiji’s Acting Minister
for Environment Colonel Timoci Natuva called
for the protection of the ocean and tuna
stocks.
“It’s our lifeblood,
our very existence, so protecting our fisheries
helps protect the ocean,” Colonel Natuva
said.
“Besides, we also boast
the best and last remaining healthy tuna
stock in the world and we want to keep it
that way,” Natuva added.
WWF South Pacific Programme
Representative Kesaia Tabunakawai said nations
of the region need to acknowledge that their
fisheries are a finite resource that needs
sustainable management for everyone’s sake.
“Traceability under
a catch documentation scheme is a useful
tool in identifying legally and sustainably-caught
fish from others,” Ms. Tabunakawai said.
“I am a Pacific islander
and live surrounded by the sea. I grew up
in an oceanic environment and was brought
up with an appreciation for the offerings
of the sea especially for our daily sustenance.
“My work has allowed
me to appreciate even more the bounties
of the sea in providing food, employment
and the bedrock of many economies.
“No doubt we must treat
conservation and management with a sense
of urgency and recognise that we are dealing
with a finite resource that requires regional
and joint actions to ensure its long term
security,” shared Tabunakawai.
The Coral Triangle Fishers
Forum runs from 18 to 20 June.
+ More
Australia creates world's
biggest marine park network on eve of Rio+20
summit
Australia today created
the world’s biggest network of marine protected
areas, setting an important precedent for
ocean protection as countries prepare to
meet for the Rio+20 meeting on sustainable
development.
WWF welcomed the new
system of marine parks that would now cover
more than one third of the Commonwealth
waters of Australia – a milestone that WWF
has been working towards for more than 15
years. The jewel in the crown of the new
network is the Coral Sea marine park that,
together with the adjacent Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park, will make up the world’s
largest marine park.
WWF-Australian CEO Dermot
O’Gorman said Australia has the third largest
ocean territory in the world that stretches
from the tropics to the sub-Antarctic and
is home to incredible creatures such as
whales, dolphins, turtles and sharks as
well as spectacular corals and other ecosystems.
“By declaring more than
one third of its waters as marine parks,
Australia has made a major advance in marine
conservation that is both nationally and
globally significant. Coming on the eve
of the Rio+20 summit on sustainable development,
this is an inspiring outcome for other countries
to follow,” Mr O’Gorman said.
“In recent times the
Australian Government has made it clear
that it aspires to be a global leader in
marine conservation. Today’s decision helps
meet this aspiration and WWF looks forward
to hearing how Australia will assist other
countries in our region to better manage
their marine resources at the Rio +20 summit.
“In places like the
Coral Triangle and the Pacific, oceans support
an incredible diversity of life and provide
food security for millions of people.
“WWF’s vision is for
there to be a network of marine parks from
the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean
to the teeming coral reefs of the tropics.”
“Marine sanctuaries provide areas where
wildlife can feed and breed and help ensure
the food security of millions of people
who rely on the ocean for their daily sustenance
and livelihoods.
“The oil spills and
ship groundings in recent years have shown
the range of threats facing our oceans.
It is important that we get the balance
right by ensuring places are set aside for
conservation as well as having well-managed,
ocean use.”
The Australian network
of marine protected areas was announced
by the Australian Environment Minister Tony
Burke in Sydney today and incorporates places
like the reefs of the Coral Sea and the
deep sea areas off Western Australia.
In welcoming the announcement,
WWF expressed some concern that some of
Australia’s most critical marine environments
had been excluded from the marine park and
left vulnerable to industrial exploitation.
“While this is a big
step forward, oil and gas rigs are still
moving closer to places like the stunning
Rowley Shoals and Ningaloo Reef off Western
Australia,” Mr O’Gorman said.
