Denarau, Fiji 7 December 2016: Concern over illegal fishing by so-called “blue boats” was expressed by officials from the Parties to the Nauru Agreement during this week’s Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual meeting in Fiji.

   Denarau, Fiji 6 December 2016: Concern over the “disproportionate burden” placed on small islands by some conservation management initiatives was highlighted repeatedly by members of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) during the first two days of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) now meeting in Fiji. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region was also a focus of PNA member comments.

   Denarau, Fiji 5 December 2016: The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting opened today in Fiji with a traditional Fijian welcome ceremony and a call by the organization’s chairperson to appreciate “the value of incremental progress” in the Commission’s decision making process for fisheries conservation and management.

   Nadi, Fiji 4 December 2016: A resolution to establish May 2 as World Tuna Day is scheduled for a vote at the United Nations General Assembly later this week.

   Nadi, Fiji 3 December 2016: Parties to the Nauru Agreement representatives briefed media from the Pacific region during a workshop that is being held in conjunction with the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting in Nadi, Fiji.

   PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru, PNA Commercial Manager Maurice Brownjohn, and Federated States of Micronesia fisheries Executive Director Eugene Pangelinan spoke Thursday and Friday on a range of fishery issues to journalists from eight nations.

   Nadi, Fiji 2 December 2016: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) met Thursday in Nadi to finalize their strategy for the 13^th Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting that opens Monday 5 December at the Sheraton Resort in Denarau, Fiji.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 25 November 2016: The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission needs to focus on controlling fishing on the high seas when the multi-national body meets for its annual meeting in Fiji next month, said the head of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement fisheries bloc.

   “The Tuna Commission (WCPFC) needs to be concerned with non-compliance with fishing rules on the high seas,” said Ludwig Kumoru, PNA CEO, on the eve of the WCPFC annual meeting December 5-9 in Nadi.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 29 October 2016: How do you manage a multi-billion dollar fishery in nine distinct fishing zones with multiple nations fishing? Five years ago, it was mostly done with a hand calculator and pencil, and by transmitting data by email or fax. Today, the fishery that is generating US$400 million a year to nine Pacific islands is managed by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement’s Fisheries Information Management System (FIMS) that allows managers to know what is taking place in their fishing zone with a tap of their computer keyboards.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 19 October 2016: Thirteen participants from Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands successfully gained certification for small-scale tuna canning operations following a one-week training in Majuro.

   This was the first regional tuna canning training for business and government representatives from member nations of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) that manages the multi-billion dollar tuna fishery in the western and central Pacific.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 7 October 2016: The first regional training for small-scale tuna canning entrepreneurs in the Pacific will start Monday in Majuro. The training aims to certify prospective canners so that commercial tuna canning operations can be successfully launched in several island member nations of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA).

   PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru said PNA’s aim is to find as many ways as possible to add value to the commercial tuna industry for member nations.