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Pacific nations sign Pacific fishing nations were to sign an agreement today to establish an international fishery commission to ensure conservation and sustainable use of tuna and other migratory fish stocks.
pact to maintain
fish stock
The agreement establishes
an international panel to
ensure conservationStar-Bulletin staff
The Pacific region produces about two-thirds of the worldwide tuna catch, with an annual landed value of $1.5 billion to $2 billion.
Nineteen nations voted for the agreement, with Japan and Korea opposing it and China, France and Tonga abstaining. A two-thirds vote was required for approval.
A signing ceremony today concluded the meeting of 24 nations and other Pacific territories and fishing entities that began Wednesday at the Hawaii Convention Center.
It was the seventh and final session of the Multilateral High-Level Conference on Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific.
Adoption of the agreement ended five years of negotiations on very difficult issues, said Ambassador Satya Nandan of Fiji, conference chairman.
"It reflects a fair balance of interests," he said, "in particular between developing Pacific countries in whose national areas large stocks of tuna fish are found, and distant-water fishing states, which fish in the Central and Western Pacific."
Japan expressed concern about the decision-making process, the northern boundary, an observer program and dispute settlement, among other issues.
Korea said there are many issues the convention does not address.
China argued against membership status by fishing entities, such as proposed for Taiwan. It also expressed concern about boarding vessels and said the convention area should not include the South China Sea.
Tonga said the decision-making process was unacceptable because "a body of three can veto a majority consensus."
The delegations agreed commission decisions will be made by consensus as a general rule.
When there is no consensus, decisions on questions of procedure will be made by a majority of those present and voting. Decisions on questions of substance will be made by a three-fourths majority of members of the South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency present and voting and a three-fourths majority of non-members of the agency present and voting.
Participants at the conference included Australia, Canada, China, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, France, Indonesia, Jaan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Solomon islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States and Vanuatu.