Fiji Holding Tight To Albacore That Forms Backbone Of Economy

Officials from the Fiji and Tuvalu Ministries of Fisheries met last week to secure tuna raw materials, mainly albacore, essential for Fiji’s processing industry. The meeting was intended to address the shortage of raw materials faced by Fiji’s state-owned tuna processing company, PAFCO, one of the largest senders of albacore loins to the US, reported Pacific Island news sites.

In other news from Fiji, the island nation’s Minister for Fisheries, Alitia Bainivalu, lauded the Pacific Island leaders coming together last month to strike an agreement for sustainable South Pacific albacore stocks, the target fish of Fijian-flagged longliners. Bainivalu stressed the importance of the tuna for the island’s economy and asserted the need for the stock to remain healthy and not overfished. She also warned for rising pressure from more fishing vessels in regional waters and stated the topic will be raised at the next WCPFC meeting. The Minister wants to limit the number of boats allowed to fish in the South Pacific and enforce rules to ensure the fishery’s long-term sustainability. Last month, Fiji allocated a budget of FJD 24.9 million (USD 10.99 million) to overhauling the country’s tuna and other fisheries sector.