MALDIVES: The World Bank has approved a USD64.8 million project to strengthen regional fisheries management in the South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region to improve the competitiveness of the Maldives fisheries sector.

The Transforming Fisheries Sector Management in South-West Indian Ocean Region and Maldives Project (TransFORM) aims to improve fisheries management in the region, and strengthen the regional collaboration by producing and sharing knowledge, data, and research to support evidence-based decision-making; improving fisheries and fish stock assessments; providing targeted capacity development; and promoting effective collaboration with other fisheries management regional initiatives.

Speaking about the project, the World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, Faris H. Hadad-Zervos said, “Maldives’ strong track record in sustainable fisheries management can serve as a model for other countries in the South-West Indian Ocean region.”

“This project also promotes a larger role for small and medium enterprises in the fisheries and allied sectors such as mariculture and aquaculture and is part of the overall strategic engagement between the Government of Maldives and the World Bank to address the weak investment and business climate that contains private sector development in the country.”

While the project will build national capacities, skill and regulations to improve fisheries sector governance, the longer-term aim is for the Maldives to serve as a regional enabler providing knowledge and capacity building support to the SWIO region.

“This project supports greater regional cohesion and cooperation and provides a platform for mutual learning and support,” said Sachiko Kondo, World Bank Task Team Leader.

“Appropriate skilling of stakeholders, developing national capacities to address challenges such as biosecurity, decarbonization, and promoting environmentally sound production and value chains are all part of the fisheries sector management and governance agenda. The project will build such capacities for the benefit of Maldives and the wider southwest Indian Ocean region,” said Tapas Paul, World Bank Lead Environmental Specialist and Co-Task Team Leader.

The project will be implemented by the regional Indian Ocean Commission and Maldives Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources, and Agriculture.

The total financing of USD64.8 million is comprised of a USD12 million grant to Indian Ocean Commission, and a USD26.4 million grant with another USD26.4 million credit to the Maldives from the International Development Association (IDA); the World Bank’s concessional credit window for developing nations.

Source: MBR

MAURITIUS: IOTC, which 27th session took place in Mauritius from May 8th to 12th, adopted by consensus 9 resolutions, notably on bigeye tuna, electronic monitoring system and cetaceans. The adoption of catch reductions for bigeye as requested by the Scientific Committee of the IOTC proves once again that Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) can apply modern harvest strategies for tropical tuna species based on the best science. The adoption of guidelines for electronic monitoring systems should also ensure a progressive improvement of the observer coverage, very low at the moment in IOTC.

Following last year’s adoption of a global catch limit for bigeye tuna, IOTC, driven by EU and Japan, adopted individual catch limits as well as catch reductions for the biggest harvesters. Anne-France Mattlet, director of Europêche Tuna Group, fully endorses this decision: “Adopting catch limits for bigeye is paramount to ensure the fishery’s sustainability. We only hope that small-scale operators, who have been given the possibility to harvest up to 2 000 tons annually in the next two years, will also play the game and not go beyond without asking to redistribute the TAC, as it was the case for yellowfin tuna”.

The European multi-specie proposal on tropical tuna, however, was rejected and no compromise could be found on yellowfin tuna, that would have brought objectors to the measure onboard. Mattlet stated: “We regret the total unwillingness of several States to adopt catch limits for yellowfin and skipjack at levels that allow their sustainable exploitation. The European Union's multi-species proposal made it possible to achieve this while ensuring more favorable conditions for developing coastal states but was met with strong opposition earlier this week. How is it possible that most parties, including developing coastal states which would come out on top, have not even considered it?”.

Regarding Fishing Aggregated Devices (FADs), a working group was created at the initiative of Korea, to study the impacts and possible new management measures based on science.

An important step was also taken for data accuracy: the IOTC adopted guidelines for electronic monitoring systems (EMS). Fleets will now be allowed to complete human on-board observers with EMS, including for small-scale vessels. Xavier Leduc, president of Europêche Tuna Group, concluded: “At last, EMS guidelines are adopted, so all fleets will be able to increase their observer coverage. Right now, only the European purse seine fleet apply voluntarily 100% observer coverage. Other fleets, including industrial Asian longliners, barely reach the 5% compulsory coverage”.

However, there is still a long way to go to increase viability and quality of the data. The Seychellean proposals to improve catch reporting and statistics, including on FADs, has been rejected by developing coastal states and Japan. The latter also pushed back the Maldivian proposal on sharks, which would have definitely banned shark finning in this important ocean. Europêche notes with great disappointment this new objection to a measure aiming at protecting sharks and remind that shark fining has been forbidden in EU since 2013. The European proposal on a mechanism for boarding and inspection was also rejected by China.

Source: Europêche

CHINA: Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong said China stands ready to deepen practical cooperation with Pacific island countries in agriculture and fishery to make new contributions to building an even closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific island countries.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when speaking at the opening ceremony of the China-Pacific island countries agriculture and fishery ministers meeting in Nanjing.

Liu said "under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two sides, China and Pacific island countries have achieved fruitful results in agriculture and fishery cooperation. This meeting is of great significance for the two sides to ensure food security, strengthen marine protection and sustainable use, and accelerate agricultural modernization."

"China stands ready to deepen practical cooperation with Pacific island countries in agriculture and fishery, enhance economic and trade cooperation, strengthen multilateral coordination, jointly boost economic development, and improve people's livelihood", Liu added.

"Taking the meeting as an opportunity, China hopes to push the agriculture and fishery cooperation with Pacific island countries to a new height to contribute to building an even closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific island countries", said Liu.

Source: XinuaNet