The New Zealand Ambassador for Pacific Economic Development, Matua Shane Jones, used his visit to Fiji as an opportunity to meet the fisheries stakeholders in Fiji.

Mr Jones acknowledged that fisheries in Fiji has been through a difficult period of time.

He was speaking during the TOPEX conference 2014 held at the Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa.

The conference is organised by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation

“The challenges of fisheries in Fiji is a subset of wider Pacific challenges,” he said.

“The Pacific family have a resource but we are not achieving the returns in the Pacific that we ought to from such resources.”

Reflecting on New Zealand’s lessons, Mr Jones said one of the important lessons New Zealand learnt was that fishing licensse should be rewarded indiscriminantly.

“Too much effort is chasing too few fish, businesses will not flourish and will fail,” h said.

“If we act together in the Southern Albacore, if we fight together and support the effort of Fishing Forum Agency and drive a conservation measure, then overtime, the Sourhtern Albacore fishery will recover.

“Therefore, those of us in the Pacific can derive further profit from fishing, You cant take a short term boom and bust approach.”

“Pacific does have a rich fisheries resource. But like all resources, unless we adhere to rules and observe the standards of sustainable, no boom can sustain momentum longterm  in resource base business if the resource is not viable or sustainable.

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