Minister for Fisheries Semi Koroilavesau has reiterated that over the past years, the Ministry of Fisheries has reviewed the work currently being undertaken within the fisheries sector.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Koroilavesau said this was initiated to identify the critical areas that needed to be addressed.

He said while the Offshore Fisheries resources of tuna and tuna-like species were well covered through robust management measures, the Coastal Fisheries resources have been somewhat overlooked.

“It has been identified that one of the reasons, was the fact that coastal resources fall under the area of total sovereignty,” Mr Koroilavesau said.

He said this meant that how Fiji chose to exploit resources within these areas, was entirely up to the priorities and demands of Fiji as a sovereign state. However, Mr Koroilavesau said this also led to a more challenging role of identifying the best option to choose when considering socio-economic development, against the importance of sustainable resource management.

“To help address the gap between the ‘Offshore and Coastal Activities’, the Ministry of Fisheries have mirrored the offshore operational achievement against the current coastal fisheries status.

Mr Koroilavesau said since the establishment of a separate and independent Ministry, the Ministry of Fisheries over the past years have ventured into goals that were seen worth addressing because of its urgency.

He said with limited resources, the Ministry’s efforts and priorities are centered on coastal fisheries.

“For every Fijian, marine resources derived from our coastal fisheries have been part of our culture and tradition. It defines our way of living and links us to the undocumented history of our past.” Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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