Transcript
LUDWIG KUMORU: Basically the PNA wants to see some form of control in the high seas on this longline, the longline fishing, there needs to be some control one is the harvest control strategy, we've got to have a harvest control strategy and to start with skipjack because we believe if we lump all the species together it's not going to get us anywhere so if we can agree on skipjack first then maybe it's a step to get the other species done. Of interest to us is this thing on FADs, fishing on fish aggregation devices, they say it's on big eye so it's they close our waters for three months, sometimes four months, some parties, some of our members, the amount of money they make for their country, about 60 percent or more comes from fishing tuna but that tuna is caught in a season with FADs so when they try to implement a measure they're actually losing money because nobody is fishing in that area so we are not going to agree to extend, closing our waters for three months, four months.
KOROI HAWKINS: And what about capacity limits?
LK: When they talk about capacity limits, the distant water fishing nations, their version of capacity limits is about locking the number of boats. So they say only so many number of boats can fish in this area in this ocean. But just imagine when they lock in the number of boats, none of us in the PNA have boats, not one of us have a boat. So in a way its, we have to look a bit far. It looks smart as a conservation thing but really it is about stopping us from ever fishing in our own waters, from ever developing our own fisheries.
KH: Anything else going on at the meeting that I am not aware off that you think is relevant and important to mention at the outset as it goes into the start of the week?
LK: Well one of the things that I haven't been mentioning is the application of members who want to members of the commission. PNA doesn't really agree with this you know.
KH: So who are the members and who is looking to gain membership that you are not agreeing with?
LK: Well there are a couple of other countries who want to gain entry into this membership. A couple of South American countries but maybe one or two have some genuine interest. For PNA we always look at look, most of these waters in the commission area belongs to coastal states not the high seas. So when you bring in more and more they actually come here to make a decision on Fish that is in our waters. So you are inviting other people, most of them have no interest to come and make a decision for us how we should run our business in these waters that is not right.