[Source: Government Press Secretariat]

The pre-Forum Media Workshop continued this morning in Nauru with the Deputy Director General Matt Hooper and Executive Officer Tevita Tupou of the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) presenting on Protecting and Managing Fisheries Resources in the Pacific.

During the briefing, FFA Deputy Director General provided an overview of the new findings on the current status of Pacific tuna fisheries in the 2018 Tuna Fishery Report Card. The report card in its entirety provides high level advice on the current status of Pacific tuna fisheries in relation to the goals, indicators and strategies adopted by Forum Leaders in the Regional Roadmap for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries. The report card also takes into account the work of the Task force on increasing Economic Returns from fisheries.

In addition to the Fisheries Report Card, FFA’s Tevita Tupou presented the fact sheet on the newly developed Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP). The PMSP is a 30 year commitment to regional maritime security by the Australian Government that includes the PMSP-FFA Aerial Surveillance Program. Since the surveillance aircraft’s inaugural flight in December 2017, the Aerial Surveillance program now provides up to 1,800 hours of aerial surveillance annually and as part of the Forum next week the Pacific Island Leaders attending the 49th Annual PIF meeting will bear witness to the launching of the Aerial Surveillance Aircraft in Nauru.

The surveillance program adds to the Pacific Patrol Boat program which provides maritime patrolling to ensure that Pacific Island Countries are able to defend themselves against regional maritime security threats such as illegal fishing and transnational crimes.

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