Letter From Suva
Islands Try To Land A World Funding First
With the battle for the location of the headquarters of the Tuna Commission now resolved, there’s another critical battle looming on the Pacific Islands horizon.
This time it is between the wealthy distant waters fishing nations and the small developing Pacific Islands fishing nations. And it’s over the funding of the participation of small developing nations in the work of the commission.
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The Pacific nations are insisting that there be a special fund created. This is to facilitate their effective participation, including attending meetings of the Pohnpei-headquartered commission and its subsidiary bodies.
The Tuna Commission, as it is commonly known, is for the conservation and management of highly migratory fish stock in the Western and Central Pacific. It covers areas outside the countries’ exclusive economic zones, where there are no rules at the moment. The aim: to avoid the over fishing and depletion that has happened elsewhere.
The funding the island nations are seeking would also be used for training, staff development and technical capacity building. This includes surveillance and monitoring of their exclusive economic zones.
The Pacific Islands nations want the special fund to be part of the commission’s core budget funded by compulsory contributions rather than voluntary, as distant waters fishing nations are insisting.
This issue is expected to dominate discussions in Nadi, Fiji, in May when the Fourth Preparatory Conference (PrepCon IV) convenes. About 300 delegates are expected to attend the five-day meeting beginning May 5.
They will come from Canada, China, France, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States of America, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji Islands, Indonesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Prior to that, there will be a Forum Fisheries Committee meeting to thrash out the Pacific position. This comprises officials of the Forum Fisheries Agency’s member countries.
The small Pacific Islands realise “that they don’t want to be just faces, they want to participate effectively,” a leading official told me, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“In fact as resource owners, they want their voices heard. To do this, they need funds to enable them to participate effectively.
“So they’re insisting on the creation of a special fund with compulsory contributions levied on members.”
It is a move that is being watched with interest internationally. If the region succeeds it could be “groundbreaking for international organisations and for sustainable development because it will set a world precedent.
“We want our Tuna Commission to be different from other international organisations. Even the United Nations does not provide funds for the participation of small islands states.”
Already several figures have been floated, including US$300,000 to finance the participation of small islands states.
Islands nations are also pushing for a limit to be set on the number of commission meetings held in a year. They want no more than two sessions a year. This would enable the Pacific countries to participate effectively.
As Forum Fisheries Agency director Feleti Teo explained: “International organisations such as the Tuna Commission tend to create a lot of working and technical groups and at the end of it developing countries like us cannot cope because we don’t have the resources. So to be able to participate effectively we’re insisting on no more than two commission meetings year.”
There is also the issue of Pacific islands states wanting their special needs elevated as a standing agenda item or “placed permanently” on every commission meeting.
This again would ensure that the Pacific’s needs do not get relegated or blocked by distant waters fishing nations.
The Federated States of Micronesia won the bid for Pohnpei to host the Tuna Commission headquarters. It came in Manila in November during the 3rd Preparatory Conference. It culminated in an unseemly spat.
The Honiara-based Forum Fisheries Agency had wanted its members to agree on a single islands candidate—and then for all to support this. But when the decision did not go their way a couple of countries cried foul and launched their own bids.
Fortunately, the split amongst the Pacific Islands did not cost the region the headquarters. Agency officials in Honiara had worried that with a split Pacific Islands vote it could end up somewhere like Manila.
The hope now is that the island unity can be restored and remain strong come May. If it does, and if the proposal on funding succeeds, the Pacific Islands would be setting another world first.
It would, said the regional official, be “ground breaking for international organisations and for sustainable development because it will set a world precedent.”
