Pacific nations standing up against tuna fishing giants
Pacific nations standing up against tuna fishing giants
Written by:
Hans Kruit, 6 December 2013
Pacific Island nations are standing up for a proposal to ban tuna fishing in the Pacific Ocean's eastern high seas-pocket, despite opposition from powerful fishing nations.
Delegates from the 25 nations charged with managing the world's biggest fishery have been attending a meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) in Cairns this week.
The countries are at loggerheads over the Cook Islands proposal for a ban on tuna fishing in the Pacific's eastern high seas pockets.
Cook Islands delegation leader Ben Ponia says there are too many boats in the fishery and up to 50 per cent of them are not complying with conservation measures.
Pacific countries are backing the Cook Islands, but they are facing opposition from fishing nations including the United States, China and South Korea.
Mr Ponia says the Cook Islands feels so strongly about the issue that it is prepared to take the unprecedented action of forcing a vote.
source: Australia Network News
Would you like to read more blog posts? Go to the page Latest News.
