Vanuatu is now a member of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
This means the IATTC can now facilitate Vanuatu’s flagged fishing vessels in its area.
Director of Fisheries, Kalo Pakoa announced that the IATTC Annual Meeting in La Jolla, California in USA from 20 June to 01 July 2016 accepted Vanuatu’s request to join the Commission.
The request was submitted by Ambassador Roy Mickey Joy and the former Fisheries Manager for Policy, Jason Raubani.
“Vanuatu has continuously been represented at the IATTC meeting by appointed people from outside until this year when a Vanuatu fisheries representative Mr Raubani was physically represented for the first time with the assistance of Ambassador Joy”, an exited Fisheries Director said.
The IATTC area of application comprises the area of the northern Pacific Ocean bounded by the coastline of North, Central, and South America. It is the Pacific’s version of the Western, Central Pacific Union Commission (WCPUC).
The objective of this Commission is to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna and tuna-like species and other species of fish taken by vessels fishing for tunas and tuna like species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, in accordance with the relevant rules of international law.
Mr Pakoa said at the California IATTC meeting Ambassador Joy also strongly lobbied Vanuatu’s bid to host next year’s annual IATTC meeting and this was accepted.
This means Vanuatu, as host, will be expecting some 200 delegates in June 2017 for the IATTC meeting.
“The hosting of this important meeting will demonstrate Vanuatu’s commitment to meet its obligations with the IATTC”, he said.
Last week, the Vanuatu Government’s Development Committee of Officials (DCO) meeting endorsed Vanuatu’s proposal and will now be submitting recommendations and budget allocation for the 2017 meeting to the Council of Ministers for endorsement.
Vanuatu’s annual membership fee to the IATTC is VT7 million.
“The hosting of this important meeting will demonstrate Vanuatu’s commitment to meet its obligations with the IATTC”, said the fisheries director.
Vanuatu now receives Vt100 million (US$909,000) annually from 125 fishing boats that have been licensed by the country to fish for tuna both in Vanuatu waters and the Western Central Pacific and the North Pacific regions. Its membership to the IATTC now paves the way for Vanuatu flagged fishing vessels to also enter the eastern Ocean and the American Oceans.
The current members of the IATTC are Belize, Canada, China, Taiwan Province of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, European Union, France, Guatemala, Kiribati, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Republic of Korea, United States of America, Vanuatu, Boliv Rep of Venezuela. Bolivia (Plurinat State), Honduras, Indonesia, and Liberia are regarded as Cooperating Non-members.