The Forum Fisheries Agency says it believes the multi-country, multi-agency co-operation involved in surveillance of Pacific fisheries is unique and is a model the rest of the world can learn from.
The FFA and its partners have just completed operation Tui Moana in Polynesia, the second of their four annual regional surveillance operations.
They involve the FFA's 17 Pacific Island member countries with aerial surveillance support from the United States, France, New Zealand and Australia.
The deputy director general of the FFA, Wez Norris,says the unique open partnership has resulted in a reduction in illegal fishing activities in the Pacific and the FFA will be showcasing it next week at the Oceans Conference in New York.
He spoke to Koroi Hawkins who began by asking him about the recent operation Tui Moana which saw not a single rogue fishing vessel spotted in Polynesia.
The entire Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre team for TUI MOANA includes members from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Palau, Papua-New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United States and Vanuatu.
Photo: Supplied/ FFA
Transcript
WEZ NORRIS: Yes we think it is very good news that despite an enormous amount of aerial surveillance coverage of the area of operations there were no what we call dark targets or sort of rogue fishing vessels that were detected.
KOROI HAWKINS: And the Tui Moana is the Polynesian version of the operation that was held earlier this year right?
WN: Yes that is right we run four regional operations per year each one is designed around a specific fishery so the operation Tui Moana is held generally around winter time. In sort of Polynesian type areas which is when the albacore fishery is at its most active.
KH: And I understand your co-operation, your model for surveillance is working not only with Pacific nations member countries but also with Australia the US and France is quite unique in the world in terms of surveillance of fisheries.
WN: Yes we think it is very unique and we think it is actually a model that is transportable to other regions of the world. Having a group of small island developing states that actively co-operate on such a level and share the amount of information and data and intelligence that the Pacific countries do is a very unique exercise. In support of as you say the large metropolitan countries Australia and New Zealand, France and the United States. And having them prepared to invest in the provision of military assets for these types of operations is also a big boost for them as well.
KH: And you are taking this to the New York Oceans conference as something to show to the world that the world can learn from.
Yes we see this as a very very good co-operative model between countries with a range of capacities as a way of everybody being able to achieve more through co-operation than they would be able to achieve by themselves.
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