Majuro, Marshall Islands 17 June 2017: Just days after the UN Oceans Conference in New York City called for action to protect the world’s oceans and to address over-fishing, leaders from the islands that control waters where 50 percent of the world’s skipjack tuna is caught are meeting in the Marshall Islands to focus on management of this vast western and central Pacific tuna fishery.

MAJURO, MARSHALL ISLANDS: The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) announced today the winners of its annual PNA World Tuna Day Art and Talent Quest.

Singer/musician duo Raychel & Richard Narruhn from FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA won the First Prize and $USD 3000 for their original composition “We Call Out to the World” (viewable on the PNA Tuna Facebook page).

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 19 April 2017: In addition to regional fisheries management issues, last week’s Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) annual officials meeting focused on strengthening PNA’s institutional structure.

   “Improving administrative functions and financial transparency is essential as the PNA organization continues to expand its scope of work,” said PNA CEO Ludwig Kumoru following the meeting. He said the officials discussed in detail the costs of various PNA activities, reviewed an assessment of the PNA Office, and looked at other financial matters.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 10 April 2017: Adding value to the tuna fishery and maintaining cooperation that has led to great benefits for the Parties to the Nauru Agreement was the theme of Monday’s opening of the annual PNA officials meeting.

   The five-day PNA annual officials meeting kicked off Monday morning at Marshall Islands Resort in Majuro with Kiribati’s Principal Fisheries Officer Aketa Taanga handing over chairmanship of the PNA body to Glen Joseph, Director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority.

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 7 April 2017: Nine islands that control the majority of tuna in the western and central Pacific are meeting in Majuro this week and next, focusing on important tuna management issues for the region.

  Majuro, Marshall Islands 27 January 2017: Focusing on strengthening management of the multi-billion dollar central and western Pacific tuna fishery, and supporting innovative ways for islands to add value to the fishery are twin goals of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) this year.

   Among ongoing value-added projects being promoted by PNA that are expected to expand this year:

   Majuro, Marshall Islands 31 December 2016: Growing global market demand for MSC-certified tuna and fishing industry interest is expected to see “wild catch” tuna tonnage double from the waters of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement in 2017.

   The Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) operates a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified free school caught skipjack and yellowfin tuna fishery in the western and central Pacific fishing zones of its member nations.

   Nadi, Fiji 11 December, 2016: As many as 50,000 fish aggregating devices (FADs) are likely in use in the western and central Pacific tuna fishery, many of which are equipped with increasingly sophisticated sonar and satellite technology linking FADs to fishing vessels.

Denarau, Fiji 9 December 2016: Pacific islands rejected a proposal during this week’s Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission annual meeting in Fiji that would have given distant water fishing fleets an unfair competitive advantage in negotiating fishing access agreements.

   Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) CEO Ludwig Kumoru if the proposal moved forward, it would undermine the commercial interests of member islands. “We have nothing to gain by making trade information available to distant water fishing countries,” he said.

   Denarau, Fiji 9 December 2016: The best news coming out of this year’s Western and Central Fisheries Commission annual meeting for the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) is the Commission’s adoption on its last day of meetings today in Fiji of a measure to improve the safety of fisheries observers.