The annual meetings of Officials of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement, held virtually for a week in March, ended with the Chief Executive Officer of the PNA Office, Dr. Sangaalofa Clark, reporting that the Officials had found 2021 another generally successful year for the PNA.

The year was challenging for PNA fisheries administrations as they worked together to limit the effects of the COVID pandemic on PNA tuna fisheries and avoid infections being transmitted to their populations from vessels involved in the fisheries.  The pandemic had been damaging in 2021 because of the economic losses to port activity and the loss of observer livelihoods and contribution to managing the fisheries. 

However, the purse seine fisheries had been able to continue to operate at a normal level, which was important because of the importance of canned tuna products from this fleet to global food security, and because the revenue from the purse seine fishery to PNA and Tokelau had also been maintained at recent levels at a time when member governments’ finances were being stretched.  Dr. Clark expressed appreciation to all those involved who had contributed to this very important achievement.

Looking ahead, overall, 2022 looked like being another challenging but rewarding year for PNA and Tokelau, said Dr. Clark.